FCC Needs to Reevalute Meaning Of Publicly Available

As the Federal Communications Commission mulls a rule change with major implications for networks and local stations, it needs to evaluate what the word “public” means. Right now, with regards to public disclosure of political ad spending, the interpretation on the books is an embarrassment.

Broadcasters are required to maintain a “public file” with an assortment of information about they are serving a community. Not much is that interesting, save the logs showing how much political candidates and interest groups pay for ad time. The detail is striking. At local stations, the exact costs politicos pay for the late news or “Judge Judy” is available. If a pro-Gingrich super PAC were to advertise on “Face the Nation,” CBS would have to make the cost open to public inspection. But, the information is a pain to access. Interested parties need to call a station or network; make an appointment to visit; then comb through filing cabinets to obtain the oft-confusing log sheets; and pay to make copies. Broadcasters like the muddle and the hurdles. And they should. Publicly available should mean easily accessible. It is laughable that an interested party – be it a business looking for a better deal, another candidate monitoring what another is doing, or a journalist – needs to visit a station and scroll through paper these days. No broadcaster would want its employees spending valuable time doing that when a few clicks of the mouse would offer the same option.