Upcoming issues with the FCC?

[genius]

What are these new rules passed by the the FCC? I haven't heard exactly what they are except that by January 1st stations with digital sub-channels need to have at least two hours of e/i programming. Is Peggy Charren of the Children's Televison Act of 1990 back??? Anyways, I was flipping through the radio when I heard a certain popular but drab radio persona discussing the policy with another person, but I never heard what the new ruling was.

Also, NBC and CBS seem to have filed lawsuits about the definition of what indency means.

Can someone clue me in as what's going on?

 

[dhett]

What are these new rules passed by the the FCC? I haven't heard exactly what they are except that by January 1st stations with digital sub-channels need to have at least two hours of e/i programming. Is Peggy Charren of the Children's Televison Act of 1990 back??? Anyways, I was flipping through the radio when I heard a certain popular but drab radio persona discussing the policy with another person, but I never heard what the new ruling was.

There are increased E/I programming responsibilities for broadcasters who choose to multicast. For every increment of 28 hours in free programming offered on subchannels, the broadcaster must add 1/2 hour of core educational programming in addition to the 3 hours required on the main broadcast stream. So from 1-28 hrs, add 1/2 hr, from 29-56 hrs, add 1 hr, etc. A station that broadcasts two full-time free programming streams (1 main, 1 subchannel), 168 hrs per week/28 = 6 increments * 1/2 hr = 3 hrs additional E/I programming.

In a nutshell, the 3 hr/wk E/I rule still applies to digital subchannels, but will only be required as a ratio of how much actual free programming is broadcast on those subchannels. I didn't read the whole article, so I don't know if the additional time is required on each of the subchannels, or can be divided among all streams as the broadcaster sees fit.

Source: http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/FCC-04-221A1.pdf

(go to item #18 to cut to the chase)

 

[nuzguy]

Everything is "an issue" with the do-nothings who inhabit the FCC these days. Anything of substance comes from the highly technical types in the back room, tne so-called commissioners only parrott the words of those who facelessly do the work. It's been too long since a commissioner who even remotely understands what he/she is talking about sat on the "front five."

All the sitting members are interested in doing is preserving their high-paying jobs by looking busy, as in tne Louisville show and other pathetic put ons of late.