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A few weeks ago, a 2024 presidential candidate complained on social media that MSNBC was using “FREE government approved airwaves” to criticize that candidate. Of course, those working in the media industry understand that MSNBC is not a broadcast network and does not use the airwaves to deliver its content. Further, since the Fairness Doctrine was repealed during the late 1980s, broadcasters are not obligated to provide more than one viewpoint on contestable issues. In ways both good and bad, the business of broadcasting is just not what it used to be.
The competitive environment for video news was already changing before the FCC discarded the Fairness Doctrine. National cable news channels, such as MSNBC, gave viewers in-depth national reporting that broadcasters simply didn’t have the time to cover. Then came access to the World Wide Web, which could offer information (and misinformation) on-demand and from around the globe.
Broadcasters have always had the responsibility of providing local content to their communities. This is part of the commitment they make to receive an FCC license to use the broadcast airwaves. It’s also what makes them valued in the community. People want community and regional news, weather, sports and traffic information from sources they can trust. Local on-air talent become familiar faces and earn viewers’ confidence. I’m sure that’s one of the reasons the Chicago Tribune, for example, features weather reports from the local ABC station’s meteorologists instead of picking up