Public Access Television World Style Guide TV
The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) regulates broadcasting in the public interest. Each TV station licensee must operate in the “public interest, convenience, and necessity,” serving the needs of its local community. This includes airing programming responsive to local issues and maintaining a public file online for transparency.
The FCC grants licenses for commercial and noncommercial educational stations. Commercial stations generate revenue through advertising, while noncommercial stations rely on contributions and grants. Stations must renew their licenses regularly, demonstrating their service to the public interest. The transition to digital television is complete for all full-power, Class A, low-power, and translator stations.
The public can participate in the licensing process by filing petitions to deny renewal or other applications. Stations must provide public notice of application filings. Informal objections can be filed at any time before the FCC grants or denies an application.
The FCC does not censor broadcast content, but there are some restrictions. Licensees have discretion over programming but cannot intentionally distort news. Political broadcasting is subject to specific regulations regarding candidate access and advertising.
Obscene content is prohibited, while indecent and profane content is restricted to certain hours. The FCC investigates complaints about these issues. There are also regulations concerning children’s television programming, including commercial limits and educational content requirements.
Stations must identify themselves regularly and comply with rules regarding contests, lotteries, and solicitation of funds. They must also make programming accessible to people with disabilities through closed captioning and audio description. Emergency information must be accessible to both hearing and visually impaired viewers.
The FCC regulates employment practices to ensure equal opportunity and prohibits employment discrimination. Stations must identify sponsors of programming and comply with rules regarding advertising, including loudness standards and prohibitions on tobacco advertising.
Blanketing interference, caused by proximity to a station’s antenna, is subject to FCC rules. Stations must resolve complaints from affected parties within a certain distance. The public can access a station’s online public file to find information about its operations and compliance with FCC regulations.
The public file contains documents such as FCC authorizations, ownership reports, EEO information, children’s television programming reports, political files, and shared services agreements. Complaints about stations can be filed with the FCC or directly with the station. Broadcast Information Specialists are available to answer questions about FCC procedures and regulations.
