Public interest (was: bye bye Boston's progressive talk)

[SteveOrdinetz]

Donna Halper wrote:

>Ed Schultz is talking right now about how in a number of stations in 
>markets where there is currently a severe ice storm, those stations 
>are just broadcasting their same old syndicated shows as if nothing 
>is happening.  Why have a license if you are not gonna serve your 
>community?  Forget right or left wing-- let's talk public 
>interest.  What is the FCC doing in all of this?


Just as long as you don't pre-empt HIS syndicated show for it, right?  :-/

Where do you draw the line for pre-empting programming for news 
coverage?  For example...school-closing announcements are nothing but 
clutter to anyone who does not have school-age children.  What about 
wall-to-wall coverage when some celebrity dies (the media circus over 
Princess Diana immediately comes to mind), or even (local angle here) 
coverage of the press conference when the Red Sox announced the 
signing of the Japanese pitcher (where the interpreter's command of 
English wasn't much better than the new player's)?

Are you "serving the public interest" when you interrupt regular 
programming for news (or pseudo-news), or are you just annoying those 
who tuned in to hear your regular format?  This topic has been hashed 
to death...what exactly is "serving your community"...is it the 
station that's 100% local but has a .5 share or the syndicated 
station with a 10?  You're not serving the community if no one is listening.


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