ELECTRONIC

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ELECTRONIC
MEDIA
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1837 Samuel Morse
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1939 CIA
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TELEGRAPHY

• 1901 Radio telegraph (dots/dashes)
• Marconi (known for wireless)
• 1906 Radio telephone (1-way voice)
• No interest in broadcasting
• Viewed as improving safety of commercial shipping
• Open system no regulation
• ONLY communicate (relay) with other Marconi
  equipment closed

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Marconi
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1911 Olympic Marconi room
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1902 First transatlantic transmission
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1924
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REGULATION

• 1910 Wireless Ship Act
• First government radio regulation
• Passenger ships had to have radios
• Required to relay messages
• Transmission interference (military)
• 1912 Radio Act
• Commerce Department (Hoover)
• Assigned frequencies (a right)
• Licensed all transmitters
• 1906-17 amateur operators

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WORLD WAR 1

• 1917 Government intervened
• Ordered all non-government radio equipment
  dismantled
• U.S. Navy emergency power to develop radio
  technology
• Government ordered radio PATENT POOLING

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PATENT POOLING

• 1918 War ended
• Patent pooling ended
• Rapid technology advances
• Largely due to protection
• Wanted to retain edge ()
• 1921 patent pooling
• GE, Westinghouse, RCA, ATT

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AGREEMENT

• GE / Westinghouse
• Exclusive manufacturing of radio transmitters
• RCA marketing / sales of receivers
• All 3 applied for radio licenses
• THE NEED create public demand for receivers
  (radios)
• 1921 began broadcasting

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KDKA / Pittsburgh
1920 First commercial radio station in U.S.
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(No Transcript)
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GROWTH

• 1921 30 stations
• 1924 530 stations
• Problem ONLY 2 frequencies
• 833.3 Khz news / entertainment
• 618.6 Khz weather / crops / markets
• Hoover against ads on radio
• 1926 4.5 million receivers
• 1928 8 million

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PROBLEMS

• Growing interference
• Relied on self-regulation
• Little enforcement power
• 1926 self-regulation collapsed
• Chicago Zenith Radio (WJAZ)
• Restricted to 2 hours per week
• Requested another frequency
• Commerce refused Canada

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GROWING PROBLEMS

• Zenith defied government used unauthorized
  frequency
• Other stations did same
• Courts no legal authority to enforce
• Could only issue licenses
• Urban interference grew
• CALL FOR FEDERAL REGULATION

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1927 RADIO ACT

• Created Federal Radio Commission
• Could grant revoke licenses
• Not everyone can broadcast!
• 1930 first renewal refused
• KFKB sold patent medicine
• 1934 FCC
• Radio, telephone, telegraph Common carriers

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FCC

• 1937 investigated networks
• Concern becoming monopoly
• Control over programming
• 1941 limited network programming to affiliates
• Challenged by NBC
• SC 1943 / upheld
• Limited spectrum
• Broadcasting a privilege

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LICENSING

• 1927 Radio Act
• Ended idea access to airwaves basic right of
  every citizen
• Spectrum SCARCE
• Privilege
• Can be licensed (public interest)

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LICENSING

• Red Lion Broadcasting v. FCC
• 1969
• Upheld reg. power of FCC
• Approximately 150 licenses revoked since 1934
  (seldom today fines)
• Programming not major concern NOT censor
• Viewers powerful regulator
• 1966 citizen challenges

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LICENSING

• Licensee qualifications
• 1. Citizen of U.S. (corp. - lt 25)
• Murdoch / News Corp.
• 2. Funds to build operate for 3 months without
  ad revenue
• 3. Sufficient technical staff
• 4. Honest with FCC ! ! !

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PROGRAMMING

• 1929 general requirements
• Stations to offer balanced schedule
• Serve needs of entire market
• 1924 Network programming
• NBC CBS dominated markets
• Networks required substantial commitment from
  affiliates

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REGULATION

• 1940 set limits for radio network programming
  (encouraged local programming)
• 1970 tried same thing for TV
• 3 hours in prime time
• FCC attempts to give local broadcasters widest
  playing field (encourage local programs)
• Networks ARE NOT licensed!

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REGULATION

• Only real concern Obscenity indecency
• Indecent or profane language
• George Carlin (7 filthy words)
• Howard Stern
• Closely watched
• More latitude 10 PM - 6 AM

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POLITICAL ACCESS

• 1934 Equal time requirement for candidates
• Broadcaster cannot censor political ads
  (defamation)
• Candidates must have equal access to ad time
  facilities
• EXCEPTIONS

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EXCEPTIONS

• 1. Bona fide newscast
• 2. Bona fide news interview
• 3. Bona fide documentary
• Appearance incidental
• 4. Bona fide news event
• 5. Entertainment shows
• Today, Good Morning America Broadcaster running
  for federal office must quite job

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FAIRNESS DOCTRINE

• 1949 broadcast obligation
• Devote reasonable time to cover important
  public issues
• Provide FAIR balanced coverage
• Must give opposing views or right to reply
• 1969 SC upheld FCC power
• Red Lion Broadcasting v. FCC

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FAIRNESS DOCTRINE

• 1987 FCC abandoned doctrine
• Except personal attack rule
• Bona fide exceptions
• Remains controversial
• Congress passed legislation in 1987
• Vetoed by Regan
• Recently discussed again

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DEREGULATION

• Since 1927 regulation based on scarcity of
  frequencies
• Cable TV first serious challenge to scarcity
  idea
• CATV late 1940s
• Community antenna
• Lack of reception
• 1958 35 HH only 1 channel

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DEREGULATION

• CATV only seen as temporary solution
• CATV began by importing programming in area
• 1960 Congress gave FCC right to regulate cable
• Involved off-air TV
• Microwave transmission

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DEREGULATION

• Local governments involved
• Easements required (right-of-way)
• Made deals with cable
• FCC stopped cable growth
• 1965-72 (freeze on microwave)
• Cable seen as undermining local TV stations
• Major growth 1975 / HBO

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DEREGULATION

• 2 major cable acts
• 1. 1984 Cable Communications Policy Act
• Favored cable companies
• Freedom for CATV to develop
• 2. 1992 Cable TV Consumer Protection
  Competition Act
• Favored consumers
• Mandatory service standards

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DEREGULATION

• 1992 must-carry rules
• Designed to protect local broadcasters
• Either required to carry
• OR forced to pay if carry
• Challenged by Turner Broadcasting
• 1994 SC (5-4) upheld rules

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DEREGULATION

• Past 16 years
• Lifted rules for TV networks from owning /
  syndicating TV programs
• Stations no longer have to formally assess
  community needs
• No longer time limit before selling stations (3
  years)

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DEREGULATION

• Abolished Fairness Doctrine
• Dropped limit on commercial minutes per hour
• Led to infomercials
• Little authority over kids ads

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DEREGULATION

• 1996 Telecommunications Act
• Lifted limit on ownership of TV radio stations
• Was 7 / 7 / 7 (now TV 35)
• No limit for radio stations
• License term increased from 3 to 8 years
• Eliminated rate regulation for CATV (phased in)

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DEREGULATION

• Abolished ban on networks owning CATV systems in
  same market
• Abolished ban on local TV stations from owning
  CATV system in same market
• CATV / telephone can compete in each others
  market

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EXCEPTION

• 1996 act added 2 regulations
• 1. Restricted erotic material on electronic
  networks
• Especially Internet
• Struck down by SC (Reno case)
• 2. Requires V-chip in TV sets after 1/2000
• THREATENED NETWORKS CONCERNING RATING SYSTEM

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TV RATING SYSTEM

• 1998 VOLUNTARY
• TV-Y (all children) TV-G
• TV-Y7 (children 7) TV-PG
• TV-14
• TV-M
• V violence
• S sexual situations
• L coarse language
• D suggestive dialogue
• FV fantasy violence

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ISSUES

• Deregulation
• Growth of large media firms
• New technology (satellite)
• Digital technology
• Global communication system
• Growing division between HAVEs HAVE-NOTs
• Regulation of Internet