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Broadcasting and Localism

MsSage

Well-known member
The fairness docterine is dead. What is now going to pass through the FCC with a 3-2 vote Thanks to obama adding a new member. The licence given to radios will go from 5 years to 2. They will have to set up local boards that will be active in ther renewal of the licence. Most say the boards will be loaded with full time activtist so unless you have a very large audience most radios sations will get out of politics. How sad, since most small stations get most of their money from the political shows.

If you want to read the document on localism here is the link.
http://www.fcc.gov/localism/Localism_Fact_Sheet.doc
 

garn

Well-known member
Ms. Sage, i've taken alook at the link you provided and in theory, this isn't a bad idea. IMO, I don't think the intent is to force stations to drop popular programming like Rush or Sean Hannity.

Around these areas, most of the small town mom/pop "hometown" radio stations do a great job of providing local information and keeping things local. But the large companies of the industry (i.e. Clear Channel) have for the most part destroyed radio with their cuts and mainstream national music programming that has very little local content (e.g., playing music from local artists), feedback, input, etc.

It's one thing for a small town station to run a satellite country format using for example ABC Radio's Real Counry or Today's Best Country format during the evening, overnight, and weekend hours (most small town stations have some sort of satellite provided music), but the term "voice tracking" (one announcer doing various shows for numerous stations around the country and making it sound local) has destroyed the industry. You would never hear a satellite service doing what i've bolded below, but I have heard a local Clear Channel radio station use this practice.

Here's more on voice tracking:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Voice_tracking

Companies that house more than one station can use the technique to stretch out their air staff. For example, the live midday disc jockey on a country station can then record voice tracks for the overnight shift of the sister rock station (often using a different name).

Undoubtedly, the most notorious form of voice tracking involves using out-of-market talent. In this form, the station contracts with a disc jockey in another city (often employed by the same corporation, but sometimes as a freelancer). The outsider will add local color using information provided by the station and news stories gleaned from newspapers available on the Internet. The recorded voice tracks are then sent to the station by shipping tapes, e-mailing the file as audio attachments, FTP, or dedicated networks. DJ's of this style often make a point of trying to sound as local as possible, falsely claiming to have visited a local landmark or attended a station promotional event.
Voice-tracking is a hotly contested issue within radio circles. Many claim that the sense of locality is lost, especially when a station employs a disc jockey who has never set foot in that station's town. There is also concern about voice-tracking taking away job opportunities and providing fewer opportunities for disc jockeys just starting out to build their skills.
 

MsSage

Well-known member
Our local station is only live for a couple hours a day when they do the commodities market. The rest is "piped" in from Amarillo.

Let me ask you this, does your local market have a christian station? Or is it from a big city? Under this you will not have that programing under this new regulation. Even if you do not listen to conservitive radio are you against me being able to listen to it? There is alot of liberal radio but not that many listen to it.
 
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