IP: Re: SLEW OF SUPREME COURT CASES TO FOCUS ON '96 TELECOM LAW

[David Farber <dave () farber net>]

> From: Dewayne Hendricks <dewayne () warpspeed com>
>
> [Note:  This comment comes from reader Tim Pozar.  DLH]
>
> At 17:01 -0700 10/3/01, Tim Pozar wrote:
> > From: Tim Pozar <pozar () lns com>
> > To: Dewayne Hendricks <dewayne () warpspeed com>
> > Subject: Re: SLEW OF SUPREME COURT CASES TO FOCUS ON '96 TELECOM LAW
> > Date: Wed, 3 Oct 2001 17:01:24 -0700
> > MIME-Version: 1.0
> >
> > I very much wish I could be party to some of these cases and see
> > if we can strike down the de-regulation of the broadcast industry
> > with this Act.
> >
> > With the Telecom Act of '96 and ownership de-regulation, radio
> > stations have been bought up so fast that prices for licenses have
> > sky-rocketed 1,000% in the last decade.  Debt service on these
> > purchases have trimmed back staff to the bare bones and limit
> > stations to the lowest common denominator of programming of formats.
> > "Radical" syndicated programming such as Howard Stern or Rush is
> > far cheaper to run and draws more "ears" than local programming.
> > Innovation is out of favor as corporations need to address safe
> > bets to keep their stock at over-inflated levels.
> >
> > The Telecom Act of 96 also struck the last nail in to the coffin
> > so that the spectrum is not used as a public resource any longer.
> > Public access and responsibility such as the quarterly community
> > ascertainment reports or even just news coverage are out the window.
> >
> > And it isn't the commercial stations that have been affected.  With
> > a number of FCC policy missives "underwriting" announcements have
> > turn into a cash cow for non-commercial stations.  Underwriting
> > announcements were originally designed to disclose bias or other
> > interests in the production of a program.  Now they are being treated
> > exactly like commercials on licenses that are required not to run
> > commercials.  At this rate the 4MHz of non-commercial spectrum out
> > of the 20Mhz of FM spectrum should be taken back and open up to all
> > broadcasters.
> >
> > Hrumph...
> >
> > Tim



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