[Congressional Record Volume 153, Number 195 (Wednesday, December 19, 2007)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E2642]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




     INTRODUCING THE BROADCAST LICENSING IN THE PUBLIC INTEREST ACT

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. ANNA G. ESHOO

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                      Wednesday, December 19, 2007

  Ms. ESHOO. Madam Speaker. I think there is a lack of quality civic 
dialog taking place in our country today. Our news has become 
homogenized and formulaic and there is a persistent dumbing down of 
national issues. The corporatization of media and the massive 
consolidation of our media outlets have made broadcasters less 
responsive to their local audiences. This has eroded public discourse 
in our country, and this has an impact on the health of our democracy.
  Last month Congress held a joint session to hear French President 
Nicolas Sarkozy. In his remarks he celebrated the life of the great 
French political philosopher Alexis de Tocqueville. In his seminal work 
Democracy in America, de Tocqueville marveled at the diversity and 
number of newspapers and journals in America. He believed that there 
was a symbiotic relationship between a democracy and the media when he 
said that there ``is a necessary connection between public associations 
and newspapers: Newspapers make associations, and associations make 
newspapers.'' A healthy democracy, according to de Tocqueville, needs a 
strong diverse media. The diversity that de Tocqueville extolled has 
been in precipitous decline, a fact that has not been lost on the 70 
percent of Americans that believe that media consolidation has gone too 
far.
  Two major conglomerates control two-thirds of the national radio 
market. Increasingly, ``local broadcasts'' are voice tracked or 
recorded remotely and passed off as live local broadcasts. Four out of 
ten commercial TV stations surveyed in 2003 aired no local public 
affairs programs; 92 percent of the election coverage aired by the 
national networks in the 2 weeks before Election Day 2004 was devoted 
to the Presidential contest, leaving only 8 percent for local elections 
and referendums. Slightly less than 2 percent of stories were devoted 
to the U.S. House or Senate races, and an additional 2 percent examined 
ballot initiatives or referenda. These are but a few startling facts 
that demonstrate the crisis.
  The perils of media consolidation are not just theoretical--they've 
manifested in a failure of broadcasters to serve in the public 
interest. At 2 a.m. on January 18, 2002, there was a train derailment 
in Minot, ND. All six commercial radio stations in Minot were owned by 
the same broadcaster, yet when emergency responders tried to reach 
somebody at the stations to air emergency warnings and instructions, 
nobody responded. Clear Channel was voice tracking its broadcast in 
Minot. Over 240.000 gallons of a hazardous material--anhydrous 
ammonia--were leaked. One person was killed. 110 were immediately 
treated, and more than 1,000 people needed medical care in the months 
that followed.
  The consolidation we've witnessed has coincided with the erosion of 
public interest standards imposed on broadcasters. The idea that 
broadcasters are public fiduciaries has been lost. I believe relaxed 
ownership rules and rubber-stamped postcard license renewals have 
contributed to this degradation. The public interest standard was 
created out of a compromise between civic groups and broadcasters. 
Broadcasters wanted editorial control, while civic groups in the 1920s 
wanted broadcasters to be regulated as common carriers. As a 
compromise, broadcasters were given editorial control but were also 
required to serve the ``public interest, convenience and necessity.'' 
When a broadcaster receives a license they are investing in public 
responsibility and service. This responsibility should not be reduced 
to a postcard. Broadcasters must demonstrate that they are meeting the 
needs of their community. We need to reinvigorate the public interest 
requirement on broadcasters.
  I'm introducing legislation today entitled the Broadcast Licensing in 
the Public Interest Act. This legislation attempts to put new life in 
the public interest standard. First, the bill reduces a broadcast 
license term from 8 years to 3. The 3-year term will bring greater 
oversight and scrutiny to license renewals. Second, the bill requires 
broadcast licensees to demonstrate that they have made a dedication to 
the civic affairs of its community and to local news gathering. The 
bill also mandates that broadcasters air locally produced programming 
and make a commitment to provide a public presentation of the views of 
candidates and issues related to local, statewide or national 
elections. Finally, the bill obligates that broadcasters provide 
quality educational programming for children. If enacted, this 
legislation would strengthen the public interest standard and force 
greater scrutiny on license renewals.
  I urge members of this House to cosponsor this legislation and revive 
the public interest standards on broadcasters.

                          ____________________