FCC Regulations on TV

The Federal Communications Commission, commonly known as the FCC, is an independent government agency established in 1934. As its name impies, it regulates communications made by radio, wire and television, cable and satellite. Television has established itself as one of the most widely used methods of communication, and as it has expanded, the FCC has likewise had to adapt to meet the needs of consumers.

Digital Transition

The most high-profile regulation in recent years has been the move to broadcast digital signals. In June 2009, full-power television stations no longer transmitted analog broadcasts. The change opened up room on the broadcast spectrum for public safety communications such as police, fire and rescue units. Some of the space may eventually land in the hands of private companies who can provide consumers increased services such as wireless broadband.
The added benefit to the viewer comes in the form of clearer picture and sound. Digital signals are more efficient than analog signals, which allows stations to "multicast," or digitally broadcast several programs in the same amount of spectrum space it would take to broadcast one analog program.
For customers who subscribe to cable or satellite television, the change in service was not noticeable. However, customers who still relied on an antenna or did not have a cable or satellite receiver to pick up television signals needed a special converter box that changed signals from analog to digital.

Cable Television

In the last three decades, the FCC has tried to limit its regulation of cable operators in an effort to promote competition and rapid development of telecommunications technologies and services. The FCC has, however, made an effort to protect consumers through regulation of the what cable systems must offer.
Cable service is offered in levels, or tiers, which are generally separated into basic service, pay-per-channel programming (usually reserved for premium channels) and pay-per-program (commonly known as pay-per-view). The Commission requires that cable operators must not require consumers to purchase anything other than a basic subscription to have access to pay-per-view programs or premium channels on an individual basis.
The FCC is also involved with certifying Local Franchising Authorities (LFA), the local governmental organizations within each state that are designated to regulate cable service. The Commission determines if the specified LFA has the authority and capability to properly regulate cable service. It also ensures that the LFA can effectively establish, follow and enforce rules based on previous FCC regulations.

Children's Programming

Studies show that, on average, children watch three hours of television per day. To that end, the FCC has set up guidelines that require stations to provide programming that meets the educational and information needs of young viewers.
Under the Commission's rules, television stations must provide parents with advance information about core programs. Core programs are defined as regularly scheduled 30-minute weekday programs. These shows are aired between 7:00 am and 10:00 am and are aimed at children ages 16 and under. They can be identified with a "E/I" icon that must be displayed in the upper right hand corner of the screen throughout the program. Stations must also keep quarterly reports on file that detail its educational programming. These reports must be made available to the public.
The FCC also regulates the amount of commercial time allowed within children's programming. That time is limited to 10.5 minutes per hour on weekends and 12 minutes per hour on weekdays. Those amounts are prorated for shows that are less than an hour long. Recent changes to the regulations have been made to include the digital transition. Stations must dedicate three hours of its main broadcast stream each week to core programming.

Obscenity and Profanity

The FCC standards of obscenity are often debated and frequently reviewed. Most issues of indecency are handled on a case by case basis, and most times are based on the complaints of viewers.
The Commission welcomes complaints (see Additional Resources) but asks that to help resolve them more quickly, viewers include the date and time of the material, the station on which it was aired, the city and state where it was viewed and a detailed description of what the offensive material was. All of this information helps determine whether a broadcast was obscene.
The FCC also encourages parents to take steps to block inappropriate material from children. The television industry has helped by creating a rating system ranging from TV-Y (appropriate for all children) to TV-MA (mature audiences only). These ratings give parents an idea of what sort of content a program contains.
In addition, the Commission suggests using a V-Chip, which reads the rating of each program and can block certain shows based on settings created by a parent. Similarly, cable subscribers can request "lockboxes" from their cable operators that can block certain programs.

Product Placement

A new item that has been brought to the Commission's attention is the proliferation of product placement. As digital video recorders have gained in popularity, more people are using them to skip commercial advertisements. As a result, companies have begun to pay to have their products or advertising messages featured during television shows.
Arguments against the practice label it as intrusive, dishonest and unhealthy while its proponents consider it an economic boost to the industry. As product placements increase in television and movies, the discussion is sure to intensify.

Resources

• Federal Communications Commission