Re: FCC Interesting Info

[Shawn Mamros <mamros@MIT.EDU>]

>1.  Does something like this come from a complaint filed by members of the
>public?  Another radio station?  Or is the FCC actually keeping an eye on
>non-comms and how they handle underwriting?

I don't believe the FCC by themselves do much in the way of monitoring for
underwriting violations, any more than they do for things like daytime-only
AMs being on at night or indecency/obscenity violations.  They will, however,
respond to complaints received from other sources, be it listeners or other
stations.  (It helps to be able to back up such complaints with real proof,
of course, as well as a knowledge of what the rules actually are...)

>2.  What exactly is an "impermissible donor and underwriting annoucement"?
>Is this the FCC's way of saying "commercials"?

Kinda.  The line between enhanced underwriting and advertising may seem
fuzzy at first, but there are actually some pretty good guidelines for
what is and isn't allowed for underwriting.  Take a look at
http://www.fcc.gov/mmb/asd/nature.html , which does a pretty good job
of summing up the most obvious of the "don'ts" at least.

-Shawn Mamros
E-mail to: mamros@mit.edu