lastone wrote:Is the FCC even necessary now days? Other than make money for the government, what purpose do they serve today?
I actually think they're a necessary evil.
What other government oversight do we have for making sure that broadcast stations keep their specs up? Also, assigning frequencies in a way that keeps interference to a minimum, and making sure that stations stay within their ERP.
Imagine the havoc if every FM station in NYC declared themselves Class Cs and started moving in these 100kw flamethrowing transmitters... Every station within 150 miles of the city would be adversely affected. And of course, they would retaliate, affecting even more stations, and so forth until the FM band everywhere would be unlistenable.
The same thing would happen on AM. WLW and WSM would be back to 500kw night in no time. In HD.
So, they do serve a purpose.
However, they have no business in the world of censorship. I believe that markets self regulate content. When content goes beyond what the market will tolerate, the offending station will suffer through lack of ratings and ad dollars, as well as be annoyed by constant complaint calls. There is no need for government intervention. If a station airs a show that offends you, the best way to get back at them is to not listen. If Arbitron comes calling, pretend they don't exist. Problem solved.
Fining stations for subjective content is a cheap shot. It's nothing more than an easy way to extort money from owners. Esp they way the rules are written now. I dare say that they are unconstitutional, and could not withstand a supreme court challenge.
Sorry about potentially opening a Pandora's box here, but I'm in long-form mode today...
![Laughing :lol:](./images/smilies/icon_lol.gif)