|
Children's Programming
Children’s TV Act 1990
Commercial limits on
children’s programs
6 min. weekdays
5 min. weekends
Limits are per 1/2 hour
Children’s TV Act 1990
Required separation between
programs & commercials
Banned program-length commercials
Children’s TV Act 1990
B/casters must serve
informational & educational needs of children
3 hrs. a week minimum
Regulation of Violence
V-Chip Law
Develop ratings syst. w/in one
year (by Feb. ‘97)
FCC has to ratify system
Sets 13" or larger
Age-Based Ratings System
TV Y
TV Y 7
TV G
TV 14
TV M
HBO Content Ratings
AL - Adult Lang.
GL - Graphic Lang.
MV - Mild Violence
V - Violence GV -
Graphic V.
HBO Content Ratings
N - Nudity BN -
Brief N.
AC - Adult Content
RP - Rape
SC - Strong Sexual Content
Regulation of Violence
News & sports will not be
rated
Not clear if cartoons will be
TV Violence
Is violence always bad?
"Happy violence" is the
problem
TV Violence
What’s happy violence?
Violence that is cool, painless
& shows no consequences
Designed to enterain audiene
Television Violence Study
57% of all programs have
violence
47% of violent acts on TV showed
no harm to victims
Television Violence Study
73% of the time perpetrator
of violent act went unpunished
Section 315
Equal opportunity
Equal opportunity not
equal time
Applies to ALL political
candidates
Exceptions to Section 315
Bona fide newscasts
Debates
On the spot coverage of bona fide
news events (i.e. press conference)
Anti-Censorship
Under 315 a candidates’
ads cannot be censored
Includes ads that are highly
offensive (i.e. abortion)
Reasonable Access
Section 312 (a)(7)
Applies to federal candidates only
Stations must try to
accommodate all requests
Section 315 (b)(1)
Lowest Unit Charge
Advertising discounts for
candidates
Lowest Unit Charge
Applies 45 days prior to
primary/runoff election
60 days prior to genera/special
election.
Fairness and Red Lion
Red Lion case
1964, WGCB-Red Lion, PA
Rev. Billy James Hargis attacked
author Fred J. Cook
Cook wanted to reply…Station
refused
FCC ordered station to let Cook
reply
Station appealed citing the
Fairness Doctrine (p. 210) unconstitutional
Appeals court ruled against WGCB
Station appeled again
Fairness and Red Lion
Personal Attack and Political
Editorial rules (aspects of Fairness)
Had been adopted by FCC
RTNDA challenged rules
Chicago appeals court declared
rules and Fairness unconstitutional
FCC appealed to Supreme Court
Fairness and Red Lion
Red Lion v. FCC (1969)
Supreme Ct. consolidate both
cases
Ruled: Fairness Doctrine
unconstitutional
Decision based on scarcity
rationale
Gov’t, therefore, could
restrict broadcasters F.A. rights
Fairness Doctrine
Required b/casters
To cover controversial issues
To afford reasonable opportunity
for discussion of constrasting points of view on a controversial issue of public
importance
Abolished in 1987, but...
Fairness Doctrine
Two rules that came out of
the F.D. are still in effect
Political Editorialization
B/caster must offer
opportunity to respond
Free of charge
Within 24 hours of editorial
Personal Attack Rule
B/casters must offer reply
time to anyone whose honesty, or character, has been attacked during
discussion of controversial issue.
Personal Attack Rule
Notify person w/in 7 days of
b/cast
Provide transcript/copy attack
Offer opportunity to respond
w/out charge
Cable
Who licenses cable?
Cable & Local Gov’t
No content regulation
FCC sets rates
Cable Co. pays city 5% fee
Cable
Must carry
Cable Act of 1992
Must carry; or
Retransmission consent
1/3 capacity for must carry
Must Carry Rules
Rules have been challenged
Supreme Court heard case in
October
© B.L. Yates 2001
| 
