The FCC’s proposals, he wrote, "would add a bureaucratic layer separating broadcasters from their customers and replace the determinations of the free market with government mandates."
Ensign noted that many broadcasters focus on local concerns as a matter of course – simply because it’s the best way to do business and to compete with other media. He also noted that the additional financial burdens the initiatives would impose are ill-timed, coming when many broadcasters are already dealing with a difficult business environment.
RBR/TVBR observation: We’re reading a lot about turning back the clock, ignoring the efficiencies of new technology, and imposing one-size-fits-all structures on broadcasters facing wildly different realities – and all of these arguments have merit. But what’s really missing from the FCC initiative, particularly the enhanced disclosure portion, is teeth. What, exactly, is the type of business model that would cause a station to flunk its license renewal test? We’ve seen no attempt whatsoever to provide that description, and if there is no definable crime, there is no need to collect evidence.
