Broadcasters' Misperceptions of Black Community Needs

Abstract

The basic Federal Communications Commission (FCC) requirement of a broadcast licensee is that he serve public interest, convenience and necessity and exert diligent, positive and continuing effort . . . to discover and fulfill the tastes, needs and desires of his community or service Further, the FCC requires that when a broadcaster seeks renewal of his license (every three years), he must provide evidence that he has ascertained the community interests, needs, and problems. But since the FCC does not tell the broadcaster how to go about ascertaining public needs, there is not a set method of determining when a broadcaster has failed to properly ascertain the interests, needs, and problems of his service area. Essentially, the public's approval or disapproval is the final yardstick-as interpreted by the FCC. The National Association of Broadcasters (NAB), the industry's leading professional organization, seemingly quite satisfied with the performance of its members, recently declared (Garnett, 1970: 24), Most broadcasters are honest,