In Re
Renewals of BROADCAST LICENSES FOR
FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION
39 F.C.C.2d 1035
FEBRUARY 8, 1973
OPINION:
[*1035] Staff action of January 31, 1973 reviewing Broadcast
licenses for
DISSENT:
DISSENTING OPINION OF COMMISSIONER
NICHOLAS JOHNSON ON
On January 31, 1973, the Commission
noted actions to be taken by the staff under delegated authority in connection
with disposition of February 1, 1973, broadcast renewal applications for
DISSENTING OPINION OF COMMISSIONER NICHOLAS JOHNSON
Bent upon renewing as many broadcast
station licenses as fast as is humanly possible, the Federal Communications
Commission once again ignores both the public interest and the dictates of its
own rules.
First, the majority -- as it does
each month -- refuses to find fault with the license renewal applications of
those stations (this time in the Florida-Puerto Rico-Virgin Islands renewal
group) which have failed to broadcast the barest minimum of informational
programming: 5% news, 1% public affairs, and 5% "other"
non-entertainment programming.
Eleven of the 234 standard broadcast
stations n1
and 9 of the 33 TV stations n2 in this group propose to broadcast less than 5% news weekly. Seven
standard broadcast stations propose less than 1% public affairs, n3 and 27 standard broadcast stations n4 and 1 TV station n5 will [*1036] devote less
than 5% of their time to other entertainment programming
This is preposterous. See,
e.g., my dissenting statement in Washington Renewals
1972, FCC 2d (1972).
n1 WAYR,
Orange Park, Fla.; WCMQ, Miami, Fla.; WIVV, Vieques, P.R.; WKFE, Yauco, P.R.;
WMBM, Miami, Fla.; WNIK, Arecibo, P.R.; WOCN, Miami, Fla.; WPFE, Pensacola,
Fla.; WRSG, San German, P.R.; WWBC, Cocoa, Fla.; and WWSD, Monticello, Fla.
n2 WAPA,
San Juan, P.R.; WKBM, Caguas, P.R.; WKID, Fort Lauderdale, Fla.; WOLE,
Aquadilla, P.R.; WORA, Mayaguez, P.R.; WRIK, Ponce, P.R.; WSUR, Ponce, P.R.;
WTOG, St. Petersburg, Fla.; and WXLT, Sarasota, Fla.
n3 WABA,
Aquadilla, P.R.; WCID, Juncos, P.R.; WKIZ, Key West, Fla.; WKXY, Sarasota,
Fla.; WOKB, Winter Garden, Fla.; WPRA, Mayaguez, P.R.; and WVJP, Caguas, P.R.
n4 WCAI,
Ft. Myers, Fla.; WIRK, West Palm Beach, Fla.; WKFE, Yauco, P.R.; WKTZ,
Arlington, Fla.; WLEY, Cayey, P.R.; WVJP, Caguas, P.R.; WWBA, St. Petersburg,
Fla.; WFUN, South Miami, Fla.; WGGG, Gainesyille, Fla.; WKXY, Sarasota, Fla.;
WLUZ, Bayamon, P.R.; WNVY, Pensacola, Fla.; WQPD, Lakeland, Fla.; WYOU, Tampa,
Fla.; WAPA, San Juan, P.R., WBJW, Winer Park, Fla.; WBMJ, San Juan, P.R.; WJCM,
Sebring, Fla.; WJNO, West Palm Beach, Fla.; WKKO, Cocoa, Fla.; WMBR,
Jacksonville, Fla.; WMFJ, Daytona Beach, Fla.; WPUL, Bartow, Fla.; WTRR,
Sanford, Fla.; WVOJ, Jacksonville, Fla.; and WVOZ, Carolina, P.R.
n5 WLTV,
Equally troublesome is the
majority's refusal to send letters of inquiry to those stations in this renewal
group whose employment practices raise serious questions under our equal
employment opportunity regulations. The majority approves the Broadcast
Bureau's decision not to send such letters to a substantial percentage of those
stations which either do not employ minority group members or women or which
have shown a decline in the number of such persons employed over the past
year. Yet the majority has no intelligent way of knowing -- indeed, it
would prefer not to know -- whether the Bureau's selection process makes any
sense.
I suppose, however, that such
capriciousness had no truly harmful effect if only because, once the stations
which have been queried finally answer our letters of inquiry, the majority is
just going to renew their licenses anyhow. See, e.g., Pennsylvania-Delaware
Broadcasting Stations, 38 F.C.C. 2d 158 (1972).
I dissent.