Martin Gives Old College Try for Localism

As a way for TV broadcasters to meet their localism obligations, Federal Communications Commission Chairman Kevin Martin is proposing that they fund residency programs for recent journalism graduates that would cover state government news and produce investigative reports for them. Bypassing the National Association of Broadcasters, Martin has floated the proposal to the boards of the Texas Association of Broadcasters and the North Carolina Association of Broadcasters. Martin's staff also solicited the support of the California Broadcasters Association in a call to officials there early last week.