Don Wildmon

AFA/AFR founder

April 1996 – One of the movements in our society, which I think is good, is turning back control of some of the basic functions of government to the local communities. There is a maxim I learned while young which has proven itself true as I have grown older. “The more local the government, the better.” While there are exceptions to the maxim, in general it is true.

Last month the President and representatives of the TV industry agreed to begin rating television programs much like the movie industry has done. They also announced plans to begin installing a V-chip in TV sets.

It was a meaningless announcement done for purely political reasons. It will, in the long run, insure that TV programming will get worse. Now the networks can say, after airing filth, “We told you before hand that it contained filth.” The action will place more responsibility on the parents and take responsibility away from the networks. It will leave them free to air whatever they desire and escape responsibility.

There is a better way of insuring that the filth in the media is reduced. And it is as American as apple pie.

Currently, all broadcast stations must have their license renewed every seven years. The license must be renewed by a group of bureaucrats in Washington. More times that not, these bureaucrats are more influenced by the industry than by individuals who live in our local communities. They know their job time at the FCC is limited and they look forward to leaving the FCC and going to work in the industry. They aren’t inclined to do anything which will hurt their chances of getting that high paying job when the time comes.

Here, then, is the better way. Let the FCC issue the initial license. This is a necessity because of all the technical aspects.

But let a local group of democratically chosen representatives decide whether the license will be renewed based on the criteria used for issuing the license. Every broadcast station in America is licensed to serve the public interest, and every broadcast station is licensed to serve a local community. Why shouldn’t the local community, through their elected representatives – instead of some bureaucrats in Washington – decide whether or not the station is indeed doing that?

And if that local station knows it will be accountable to those it is licensed to serve, and that their fate lies in the hands of those in that community rather than bureaucrats in Washington, you will see an effort to do the very thing they are licensed to do – serve the public interest.

Of course the industry will fight this with all the resources they have. They want to continue to keep the power they have stolen from the people. In the history of broadcasting, there has never been a single station denied renewal of their license because of content. And there have been precious few fines for violating the public trust. That tells you about the power and influence the industry has over the FCC.

It is time to give the power back to the local communities and to make the stations accountable to the local communities.

I urge you to take a few minutes to write your Congressman and Senators in Washington and urge them to help bring this to pass. The address of your Congressman is U.S. House of Representatives, Washington, DC 20015. The phone number is 202-225-3121. The address of your Senators is U.S. Senate, Washington, DC 200l0. The phone number is 202-224-3121.

The other thing you can do is to begin to talk with others about letting a democratically elected group in your local community decide whether your station is “serving the public interest” in the community where they are licensed to operate.

It is an idea whose time has come. Let us take back the power usurped by the bureaucrats in Washington and the industry which laughs all the way to the bank while producing moral rot.