Re: Re:Re:Wired.com on Reversing Consolidation

[Dave Faneuf <tklaundry@juno.com>]

On Thu, 09 Jan 2003 20:04:43 -0500 SteveOrdinetz <steveord@bit-net.com>
writes:
> Joseph Pappalardo wrote:
> 
> 
> >Maybe you are in a time warp.
> >"Serving" the community has basically been written out of the FCC 
> rules,
> >haven't they?
> >I remember when we had to actually interview community leaders to 
> compile a
> >list of needs for said community  (GONE!)
> >I remember when we had to draw up some kind of plan to address said 
> needs
> >(GONE!)
> >Remeber the words "operates as a public trustee"?  (GONE!)
> >
> >But "serving the needs" of the community seems to be gone.
> 
> 
> But this begs the question of what "serving the needs of the 
> community" 
> really means.  Does it mean airing a scintillating interview with 
> the COL's 
> sewer commissioner at 6am on a Sunday?  Do you think ANYONE ever 
> listened 
> to those shows back when stations were required to devote a portion 
> of 
> their air time to them?  If a tree falls in the forest and there's 
> no one 
> there, are they still serving the community?

I'm not talking about interviewing the sewer commissioner at 6am Sunday
morning, I'm talking about things like local political ads during
election, local news coverage in morning drive (since that's the only
time managers think people can handle news these days) Even BZ a few
years back refused to take political ads for people running for Boston
City Council.  The current atmosphere is difficult enough to try to get
local service, allow a same city publication to begin acquiring stations
and the few independent voices left are gone.
df