College Broadcasting and the FCC

Talking about rules and regulations may not be the most exciting thing to discuss at 9 a.m., but I figured I should attend this session due to some recent problems at KNWD. FCC commissioner Michael Copps really did not get into specific regulations for radio stations. Instead, he concentrated on the future of radio stations and how it can affect broadcasters. Most people know that you can travel across the country, and hear the same 50 or so songs playing on different radio stations. That is the main reason I stay clear of corporate radio stations and throw in a CD. I can only stand to hear Sean Kingston on needed occasions. Copps related this problem to radio stations owning a lot of other stations. This problem is making all stations generic. Localism is being taken out of the stations. Stations no longer have to prove to the FCC that they are meeting the public interest. The old rules required stations to come in every 3 years, where they would answer many questions to make sure they are serving their purpose as a station. That rule now only requires stations to return a post card sent out by the FCC every eight years.

Mary Manno