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U
S A 3. BROADCAST LAWS AND THE CONTENT
OF INFORMATION The Constitution?s first amendment, which established the freedom
of speech and press, prohibits state and local governments from
limiting those freedoms. Most regulatory laws, particularly those
governing broadcasters, are federal. Perhaps the most important
of the federal laws is the Federal Communications Act of 1934, which
created the Federal Communications Commission. That law, along with
the commission?s own rules and regulations, accounts for most regulations
affecting cable, radio, television and satellite communications.
Other federal laws passed by Congress include cable television regulations,
the regulation of children?s programming, and laws governing obscene
and indecent speech. Administrative laws are those rules and regulations created
by administrative agencies, such as the Federal Communications Commission
and the Federal Trade Commission. An example of an administrative
law is the FCC regulation that requires broadcasters to provide
air time for people to reply to personal attacks. That regulation
is known as the ?fairness doctrine.?? The Federal Communications Commission, which replaced the Federal
Radio Commission, regulates radio and television. The FCC encourages
diverse programming. It limits how many stations a single individual
or company may own. The FCC insists that licensees be of good character,
follow business practices, and operate within the letter and spirit
of the law and FCC regulations. The 1934 Federal Communications
Act forbids censorship, yet the FCC makes broadcasters accountable
for what they have aired when license renewal time comes up. Radio
licenses are granted for seven years, television for five. The FCC
strongly has indicated that it does not want unanswered personal
attacks, realistic alarming spoofs, exclusive forums for licenses
such as spreading hate, dirty words, off-color jokes.
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