The licenses for all television stations in Indiana are up for renewal by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) on August 1st, and the deadline for citizen intervention, comments and filing is July 1. Learn what you can do, and join the newly-formed Indiana Media Action Coalition (IMAC) in efforts to conduct a survey on WFYI and file comments with the FCC.
"Our action group is new and small, so we chose to focus our efforts on doing what we can to try to keep our local PBS stations, WFYI Channel 20, in particular, on course as a Public Broadcasting Station..."
Please take time to reply to the survey by June 25, 2005. We plan to present preliminary comments to the PBS board on June 16, and to compile all the comments before the end of June and file the results with the FCC. If you would like to attend PBS Board Meeting with us, communicate that when you reply to
with your survey comments.
Every local TV and radio station gets their license from you, the public, for free, in exchange for serving the public interest. Every citizen and community group has a stake in how issues are represented on television and how TV stations operate. Media reform and justice activists, such as the Youth Media Council, organize and use the license renewal process to negotiate agreements with local broadcast stations for better content and access.
This summer’s license renewal is the only chance for citizen involvement in FCC review of local TV station licenses and the issues they cover for the next eight years. The license renewal process presents an opportunity to file with the FCC any comments regarding the quality and content of local and national television broadcasts. The FCC process allows for two varieties of objections to be made against a license renewal: a formal “Petition to Deny” and an informal objection. Because only one license renewal has ever been denied, and because the formal petition to deny requires a greater commitment of time and effort than the remaining time could possibly allow, the remainder of this information will focus on the informal objection.
Filing an Informal Objection The first page of the informal objection to the FCC should include the stations call sign, city and state, station facility number and the station’s number. This information can be found on the FCC’s database http://svartifoss2.fcc.gov/prod.cdbs/pubacc/prod/cdbs_pa.htm. We have had mixed success accessing this database as sometimes the computer cannot find the address.
For Indianapolis, the major station ID numbers are:
The FCC Consumer Affairs number is 1-888-835-5322, and the main FCC number is 1-888-225-5322.
In the body of your letter, provide specific information about the station’s performance and why its license should be not be renewed. Point out specific issues of community concern that were not covered, other inadequacies in the station’s programming, or any actions by the station that are not in the best interests of your community. Remember that the FCC doesn't’t monitor stations’ programming, so any specifics you can provide will be useful. Address your letter (a signed original and two copies) to:
Video Division, License Renewal Processing Team Room 2-A665 FCC, Office of the Secretary 445 12th St. SW Washington, DC 20554
Send a copy of your comments to the station’s managing director to let them know you’re watching. Also send a copy to Free Press at
.
The Public File All license holders are required to maintain a public file, which must be available to the public for inspection during normal business hours. They are required to provide a table and chair and allow you to look at all materials in the public file. The FCC provides information about the process at http://www.fcc.gov/localism/renew_process_handout.doc.
One local station that one of our members visited recently required that he specifically ask for the materials he wanted, and only then would the station manager hand-over the documents. Here are some of the things you should find in the file:
Citizen Agreements: Stations must keep a copy of any written agreements they make with local viewers. These “citizen agreements” deal with programming, employment, or other issues of community concern.
Letters and E-Mail from the Public: Commercial stations must keep written comments and suggestions received from the public for at least 3 years. Is the station keeping all letters and e-mail from the public, or just the positive ones? If there is consistent criticism from the public on a certain issue, did the station respond to these criticisms, or ignore them?
Issues/Programs Lists: Stations are required to keep a quarterly file of which local issues their programming covered and how those issues were covered specifically. This file will usually be separated by issue (for instance “public safety”, “environment”, Peace Movement) with examples of when and how the issues were covered
Political File: All candidates for public office must have equal access to broadcasting facilities. Also, stations must charge the lowest commercial rate available for political ads.
Employment Records: TV and radio stations must offer equal employment opportunity (EEO) and cannot discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, or sex. Stations have to file reports saying how they comply with these policies.
Children’s TV Programming Reports: Commercial TV stations are required by the FCC to air a minimum of 3 hours per week (between 7 AM and 10 PM) of “core educational programming” specifically designed to educate and inform children and teens under 16. Stations must file “FCC 398” reports describing how their core educational programs have “education as a significant purpose.” The stations — not the FCC — decide what counts as educational programming.
Records regarding advertising in children’s programming: There are limits on the amount and type of advertising in TV programs for children 12 and under. There cannot be more than 12 minutes of commercials per hour on weekdays and 10.5 minutes per hour on weekends during kids’ programs.
Resources
Grand Rapids Institute for Information Democracy created a guidebook for residents of Grand Rapids, MI who will be challenging licenses in that community. Their resource has information useful for other communities as well: http://www.griid.org/pdfs/License_Renewal_Guide_Rev_2.pdf
Media activist group Rocky Mountain Media Watch filed objections to the license renewals of four stations in Denver, CO. Read an example of their objections at: http://www.bigmedia.org/texts2.html
