Page 455 - Battleground The Media Volume 1 and 2

| Regulat ng the A rwaves: “A Toaster w th P ctures” or a Publ c Serv ce?

technicians (scientists and engineers), and representatives of the radio industry to map
out a policy for broadcasting.
1927—Congress passes the Radio Act of 1927.
1934—Congress passes the Federal Communications Act and establishes the FCC.
1941—FCC issues Report on Chain Broadcasting that outlines restrictions and modi-
fications on the network-affiliate relationship.
1941—FCC establishes restrictions on radio station ownership.
1943—Supreme Court rules in National Broadcasting Co. v. United States that the FCC
has the power to regulate radio networks, and affirms that the scarcity of the spectrum
legitimates the public-interest responsibilities imposed on broadcasters.
1946—FCC issues its “Blue Book,” Public Service Responsibilities of Broadcasters, which
defined for broadcasters how the FCC would ascertain whether license renewal appli-
cants had fulfilled their public interest obligations.
1949—FCC establishes the Fairness Doctrine.
1952—FCC issues its Sixth Order and Report, ending the four-year freeze on licensing
television stations. The FCC approves licensing stations in both the Very High Fre-
quency (VHF) and Ultra High Frequency (UHF) bandwidths. It also reserves 242 licenses
for noncommercial, educational broadcasters.
1956—FCC implements its 7–7–7 rule, which prohibits a single entity from owning more
than seven AM stations, seven FM stations, and seven television stations nationally.
1960—FCC issues the Programming Policy Statement, which outlines 14 elements neces-
sary for broadcasters to fulfill their public-interest obligations. It also requires broad-
casters to ascertain the needs of the communities they serve.
1962—Congress passes the All-Channel Receiver Act and the Educational Television Fa-
cilities Act. The first act requires television set manufacturers to produce television sets
that can receive both VHF and UHF signals. The second act allocates federal money to
states to establish or enhance educational broadcasting services.
1962—FCC passes the Anti-trafficking Rule, which requires owners to wait three years
before they can sell a station.
1966—U.S. District Court rules on Office of Communication of United Church of Christ vs.
Federal Communications Commission. The case provides members of the public legal
standing to participate in broadcast license renewal hearings.
1967—Congress passes the Public Broadcasting Act, which creates the Corporation for
Public Broadcasting, a private nonprofit corporation to promote public broadcasting.
1969—Supreme Court rules in favor of the FCC in Red Lion Broadcasting v. Federal Com-
munications Commission, thereby upholding the constitutionality of the Fairness
Doctrine.
1970—FCC establishes the Prime Time Access Rule (PTAR) and the Financial Interest and
Syndication Rules (Fin-Syn).
1975—FCC bans cross-ownership of broadcasting stations and newspapers.
1978—Supreme Court rules in favor of the FCC in Federal Communications Commission v.
Pacifica Foundation.
1978—FCC establishes policies to favor minority ownership of broadcasting stations.