University of Virginia Library

Administration Strikes Balance

Last December the
administration went even
farther in striking what it terms
a balance between the
networks and local stations.
Clay Whitehead, director of the
White House Office of
Telecommunications, proposed
legislation which would grant
local stations a five-year license
instead of the present three.
But, in turn, the $89 network
affiliates would be totally
responsible for all they
broadcast, whether the
material originates in New
York or not.

At the end of each five-year
period a license's renewal
would depend on "the degree
to which the station has been
responsive to the needs and
interests of the communities it
serves." The FCC would
reserve the right to judge the
station's "responsiveness"
without any standards or
categories applicable to all
stations.