Deregulation and the Focus on Profits

Because of the principle of citizen ownership of the airwaves, defined by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) in 1934, radio and then television stations were required to conduct a regular inventory of community needs for their primary market area. That information was used to help determine the public interest focus of programming and public service announcements (PSAs). These "ascertainments of need" were accomplished in a variety of ways. At King Broadcasting, former President of Broadcast Eric Bremner remembers license renewal time where documentation of the FCC process for three stations (Portland, OR; Seattle, and Spokane, WA) once topped 85,000 pages. He described the ascertainment process this way:

1. determine basic demographics for the station's coverage area: gender, age, ethnicity, income level.
2. create a profile from that representing the community
3. invite community leaders willing to speak about issues relevant to the part of the profile they represent
4. choose key station executives — news, public affairs, station managers — to interview the leaders and determine community needs
5. continue interviewing for several days or weeks to complete the process
6. identify, produce and broadcast public service, non-news programming that serves the identified needs

This process yielded strong local PSAs and documentaries on topics such as dwindling salmon, nuclear waste disposal, and the cost and availability of hydroelectric power. Such programming helped to focus public concerns and added significant insight to local problem-solving efforts. To qualify as a public service announcement, the short messages, mostly prepared by the stations which aired them, had to be identified as supporting a specific not-for-profit organization. In 1980, for example, KING-TV produced and broadcast 20 PSAs about CityFair, an event identified as sponsored by Metrocenter YMCA, which promoted citizen action in the area of energy conservation, health care, housing, food production, and the environment.

Many broadcasters had a strong institutional as well as an FCC commitment to broadcasting a significant number of free public service announcements for bona fide not-for-profits. At KING-TV, about that time, the promise was for a minimum of 100 such announcements each week.

When the Reagan Administration swept into the White House in 1980, the era of deregulation swept out most public service requirements for cable and broadcast media. In 1984, the FCC eliminated requirements for cable operators to provide local programming. Now cable community service is defined by franchise owners in Seattle and in most other areas as simply making some channels available for public access. (See p. 77.) After 1987, specific public service requirements for radio and television were also eliminated.

Today, public affairs departments have been eliminated at most local stations. Now the only regular public affairs, non-news programming produced locally is KOMO-TV's "Town Meeting" and occasional program pieces produced by KCTS-TV. Locally produced PSAs are rare, especially those longer than 10 seconds. But, to fill the studio audience for its afternoon talk show, "Northwest Afternoon," KOMO-TV will produce a 10-second PSA for audience members who bring 10 or more guests to the show. The spots air early on Sunday mornings, according to a news producer at the station.