The Sound Of Localism

David Oxenford's "Broadcast Law" post on Localism Without Government Regulation makes radio's case against FCC-mandated local programming pretty well.

This comment from Tom Taggart it prompted makes it even more potently:

"Each winter we do a "coats for kids" drive. It's sold, but it's a lot of work. We put barrels at sponsor's stores, and have two dry cleaners who clean the donated coats. The coats then go to churches and community agencies. One bank sponsor has locations 50 miles apart we need to service. Under FCC's rules, we would get little credit for all this work. Now, if we ran four or five hour long discussion programs each Sunday on the need for coats for poor kids and that the government needs a program to solve this problem, why we could fill up the public file issues folder quite full."

Meanwhile, CJJR/Vancouver morning cohost Clay St. Thomas distributed this message to his listeners today:

"The weekend of August 14th to 16th, I'm going to be walking in the Weekend to End Breast Cancer. It's 60K of walking, spread over 2 days. Not bragging, just saying ;) Well, maybe bragging just a little...with that level of commitment, all the walkers on all teams are obviously serious about wanting to do something to end Breast Cancer. I'm a cancer survivor myself, and my mom lost her fight with cancer. Sadly, my circumstances are not unusual. 1 in 3 people will eventually be diagnosed with cancer. This disease runs in everyone's family, and the rate of increase in Breast Cancer specifically is nothing short of epidemic. So here's the pitch: Please consider heading over to http://tinyurl.com/qq8sj9 and making a donation. I know times are tight, which is honestly part of the reason why I'm doing this whole 'hat in hand' routine. Thanks for reading this, and especially for any support you can give. I really appreciate it. Yours in blister pads and damp socks, - Clay"

PS: his cohost Karen Daniels is doing it too!

There are some things you simply can't do with smoke and mirrors. That's the sound of genuine localism, actions thousands and thousands of radio personalities and their stations take upon themselves every single day, which move millions of listeners to get involved too, amplifying already-impressive individual efforts like Clay's and Tom's.

A sound of genuine "localism" in radio: running shoes on pavement. Just try to stick that in your Public File!

When Programming Values Conflict With Personal Ones

Representatives Jim Moran (D-VA) and Robert Brady (D-PA) just introduced a bill that would also limit erectile dysfunction commercials to be broadcast between 10pm-6am. Airing the spots in other hours would be an indecency violation subject to a $325,000 FCC fine.

It's tempting to advocate for it because penile enhancement ads offend all of my programming sensibilities.

There's no one who wishes network programmers and sales executives would have the good sense to turn down all sex aid advertising, twenty-four/seven more than I do.

Sometimes two of them run in a cluster on country radio's night-time programming and you know that they have to be a huge turn-off to our listeners, who live right at the intersection of "virtue and meaning."

However, I am also a free speech advocate and if a business is stupid enough to air anything that drives their listeners away, as these offensive spots clearly do, the marketplace will teach them a lesson as long as listeners have a choice.

There's no need for a law until someone repeals good business practices, competitiveness and common sense.

Be Careful Out There

Gord Eno, PD of JRfm 93.7 Vancouver's New Country creates a "Weekly Jock Memo" email each Friday to communicate key issues for the next week to his full time and part time air staff and this week he included this timely reminder while encouraging all personalities to actively engage in social networking with listeners under the title "Keep Watch:"

'At the British columbia Association Of broadcasters convention a couple of weeks ago, one particular speaker left a fearsome impression. He is not an intimidating or ogerish presence evoking nightmares. Actually, he!s a very nice guy. Dan Burnett is a well known Vancouver media lawyer. At the conference he provided an update on current media legal issues and any new developments we should know. He cited the potential of libel and other nasty legally things with our websites. Open forums can be susceptible to nasty comments that can turn into lawsuits. He urged us to be sure that we don't fall victim to a poisonous posting. Our Facebook Discussion Board and Wall are places we have to keep an eye on. Fortunately, the nature of our business justifies visiting Facebook during our workday, so it is easy to monitor the comments added to those sections.'

What To Do When Something On-Air Goes Horribly Bad

Thankfully, Canada's Broadcast Standards Council ruled today that having controversial people on air doesn't breach their Code of Ethics in the case of VisionTV's broadcasts of Dil Dil Pakistan in July 2007.

If the ruling had gone the other way, as much as I deplore the hateful comments which were attributed to fanatical TV Islamic imam Dr. Israr Ahmad it would have had a chilling effect on free broadcast speech. Vision TV's actions, albeit that they probably took too long to take them after the complaints, seem to me like a textbook example of what any of us would do when a guest on our airwaves is alleged to have said something hateful/stupid/outrageous/damaging:

"VisionTV also pointed out the steps it had taken to respond to the complaints, including the establishment of a Task Force to look into the issue, the interim suspension of the broadcast of Dil Dil Pakistan, and the broadcast of apologies for any offence caused."

Do you monitor everything the voices are saying on your public affairs and religious programming, even when it airs early, early on a Saturday or Sunday morning?