[BC] Record Fine Expected for Univision

[Alan Kline]

Mark Humphrey wrote:
 > So, I wonder if the FCC would consider "The Rocky and Bullwinkle Show"
 > to be children's programming?   I did learn something from watching it
 > as a 6-year-old, but it took several more years before I fully
 > understood what was so funny!

Children's programming, yes. "Education/Informational", no.

The children's programming laws and rules are some of the most 
incredibly stupid that we have to deal with as an industry.

Even more absurd is the requirement that *each* program stream must 
comply with the kids' rules. The 3 hours/week is supposed to be 
compensation to the government for the use of the bandwidth. We don't 
get any more bandwidth if we split a digital channel into 2 or 3 or 4 
bites--we still get the same 6 megahertz--but we somehow are obligated 
to multiply that 3 hours by the number of sub-channels.

In our case, we have to interrupt the 24/7 weather channel on our second 
sub-channel for 30 minutes per day of kids' stuff. Technically, it's a 
PITA to pull off, because the weather channel also goes to the local 
cable op for their digital tier, and is streamed on our website. 
Obviously, the latter two don't need the kid stuff shoved down them, so 
we have to split that signal several different ways.

We went to the trouble, but I believe that one of our competitors may 
have pulled a digital sub-channel because of this. They had just been 
broadcasting their Doppler radar 24/7, but last I looked had replaced it 
with a slate saying that the radar would be off-line TFN, because of 
"technical issues". I rather suspect that it's really because of the 
kids' rules.

And some of the dreck that *does* qualify for the coveted "E/I" symbol 
is so bad, no self-respecting kid would waste his time watching. It's 
miserable, cheap production. Sometimes I think we get better numbers 
with the infomercials on the overnight.

Finally, I believe it's discriminatory because no other broadcast or 
satellite service is forced to comply with the same rules. Terrestrial 
radio, satellite radio, and the multitude of cable networks distributed 
on satellite all use part of the same "public airwaves" that the TV 
people do, but are not required to follow the same rules.

However well-meaning the laws and rules were, I don't believe that they 
come anywhere close to achieving the results desired. All they do is 
make a bunch of politicians and politically-correct busybodies feel like 
they've accomplished something.

ak