New FCC Regulations Threaten Catholic Radio (and other christian radio stations as well)

Inside Catholic ^ | January 28, 2009 | Deal W. Hudson

[Antoninus]

It becomes more and more clear that the USCCB bureaucrats are all liberals. That they are supported by many of the bishops. There is a defacto schism in the American Church.

Indeed. Between bishops who are Catholics and those who are Democrats.

[JoeFromSidney]

The idea of "localism" dates back to 1927 and the Federal Radio Commission (predecessor of the FCC). In a brilliantly prescient (/sarc) move, the FRC concluded that radio would put newspapers out of business (remember, this was 1927). Therefore radio stations should be forced to serve their local audiences, as local newspapers had in the past. The result was Balkanization of the airwaves. Peanut-whistle stations all over the country, on the same frequency, each limited in power so as not to interfere with the others.

Then came a problem. How to fill all those hours of air time in each of those localities, since there really wasn't enough purely local news. Thus came networks. They produced shows (mostly) in New York, and transmitted the signals to each of those peanut-whistle stations via phone lines. Thus every one of those stations served its "local" audience by broadcasting Amos & Andy, Jack Benny, etc., at the same time, to its pitifully small broadcasting area.

Had the FRC and later FCC not been infected with the idea of localism, we'd have seen "clear channel" stations, 50 KW power and up, each of which covered the entire country. This would have given some real "diversity" to broadcasting, since a station with nationwide coverage could aggregate dispersed audiences. There may be only half a dozen opera fans in Podunk, but over several thousand Podunks, it would have been worthwhile for a clear channel station to cater to them.

Ironically, we now have what the FRC/FCC tried to prevent: Sirius and XM satellite radio, with over a hundred channels, each aimed at a fairly narrow audience interest, but aggregating that interest over the whole country.

Localism was an unnecessary bit of social engineering, and was a failure from the beginning. Just one more example of the Law of Unintended Consequences at work.

[fatima]

“Broadcasters must . . . look for leaders in the civic, religious, and non-profit sectors that regularly serve the needs of the community, particularly the needs of minority groups that are typically poorly served by the broadcasting industry as a whole.”

Humm,What minorties,Homosexuals etc.

[annalex]

Get shortwave radios, people. Or, I hear there are those new satellite thingies.

It is too easy to subject locally originated AM content to full censorship. It will be done.

[livius]

Very interesting history! Thanks.

[livius]

Apb Raymond Burke actually criticized the USCCB for their misleading pastoral letter issued before the elections, and he also criticized CNS (Catholic News Service), which is basically the USCCB organ. I read once that the Pope is not very happy with the national bishops’ conferences, virtually all of which are dominated by elderly leftists, and feels they have way too much influence and prevent individual bishops from teaching their flocks.

[Natural Law]

This is just the opening shot in Obama’s assault on the Church. We should all expect a lot more Church sexual abuse show piece prosecutions soon in response to the Church's pushing back against Obama and his pro abortion administration. Just like their predecessors in Germany in the 1930s today's socialists are aggressively seeking to undermine moral authority of the Catholic Church. Check out this Time Magazine Article from May 31, 1937 to see the script the left is following:

http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,847866,00.html

[nanetteclaret]

Especially since certain members tried (unsucessfully) to shut down Mother Angelica... Seems the battle lines are really being drawn ...