Day One I.
Start activity by asking students the following questions:
A. How does a television program get from the studio to a television
at home?
1. Cable 2. Satellite 3. Airwaves
Broadcast television, the television everyone sees for free, uses
the airwaves to bring their programs to the public. Airwaves can be
thought of as a national park: a limited and valuable public resource
that is owned by the public. The government requires television broadcasters
to obtain a license to broadcast on a particular frequency or airwaves.
B. Who owns the airwaves?
The general public owns the airwaves. Television broadcasters receive
a free license from the federal government to broadcast programs. The
government has made broadcasters "public trustees of the airwaves."
This means that the federal government has told broadcasters that they
are guardians of the airwaves for the general public, and in return
for this valuable position, they have to air programs that are in the
"public interest."
1. Ask students for examples of programming that would be "in the
public interest."
a. News
b. Children education programming
c. Local shows
2. What are shows that are not "public interest" programming?
a. "Friends"
b. "ER"
3. What is the difference?
There is no exact answer to what "public interest" programming is.
The Federal Communication Commission (FCC) is the government body
in charge of giving licenses to broadcasters and monitoring broadcaster
use licenses. Since the five members of the FCC constantly change
the definition of "public interest" is constantly changing. No federal
legislation exists to define what "public interest" programming is.
II. The definition of "public interest" programming.
A. 1940's - 1970's Regulation. For thirty years the FCC highly regulated
the type of programming put on the television by broadcasters. In order
to keep their licenses in good standing, broadcasters had to show the
FCC that they were providing the public with a reasonable mix of the
following types of programming.
- · Opportunity for local self-expression
- · Development of use of local talent
- · Licensees editoralization
- · Political broadcast
- · Weather and market reports
- · Service to minority groups
- · Entertainment
- · Children
- · Religious
- · Educational · Public affairs
- · Sports
- · Agricultural
- · News
B. Since the 1980's, the meaning of "public interest" has changed.
Deregulation in the beginning of the 1980's lead the FCC to adopt a
policy favoring less government oversight of broadcasters. This change
from strict oversight of broadcaster programming to less oversight leads
to a change in the "public interest" definition. The FCC promotion of
the Free Market style of governance, meaning that by broadcasters competing
for viewers they would regulate themselves, would lead broadcasters
to define what kind of programming serves the "public interest."
Ask students how they think the change in policy, from broadcasters
being highly regulated in what program to air to deregulated, impacts
programming? What do they think is better? Highly regulated or deregulated?
III. Activity One:
What stories does the local news cover? Divide the class into five
groups: ABC, CBS, NBC, WGN and FOX and ask students to keep a journal
of the evening or late news for three nights. Document:
A. What stories were covered by the news and how long were the segments?
B. How many stories were about local, statewide and countrywide issues?
C. Have students write a synopsis of news coverage. Did they feel like
they were informed about their community? What kind of information did
they receive and not receive?
D. How many news stories fit the type of coverage mandated during
the highly regulated era?
E. Use the Media Take Action guide to write a letter to the editor
or a letter to broadcasters telling them about your project, results
and your opinion.
F. Have students read the newspaper for the same days. Were the same
stories covered?
IV. Day Two:
Divide the class into the five broadcast groups. Have students survey
the kind of programs on each station for 24 hours for three days. Have
students use the newspaper TV guides or the weekly TV guide.
A. How many of the programs would fit into the program areas required
during the 1940's to the 1970's?
B. How would students classify or group the program aired by broadcasters
today?
C. If they were television broadcasters, what kind of programs do
they think would be "public interest" programs?
D. Use the Media Take Action guide to write a letter to the editor
or a letter to broadcasters telling them about your project, your results
and your opinion.
Copyright 2003 Citizen Advocacy Center. All rights reserved. No part
of this lesson plan may be reproduced in any form or by any means without
the prior, written permission of the Citizen Advocacy Center.
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