Sykes (thank God) has a contract extension.
But one wonders if the FCC regs will allow continuance.
As reported recently in the National Catholic Register, a new version of the so-called Fairness Doctrine is threatening Catholic radio. Under the new Obama administration, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) will begin applying "localism" regulations to radio station licenses. Steve Gajdosik, president of the Catholic Radio Association, calls these regulations "the death knell for Catholic radio."
...the impact of localism could be the same as the Fairness Doctrine, since the FCC can take away a station's license if it's found not to serve the "interests" of the local community
...The head of the FCC transition team for Podesta and Obama is another supporter of localism standards: Henry Rivera, former chairman of the Minority Media and Telecommunications Council. The council spells out what is intended by localism:
"Broadcasters must . . . look for leaders in the civic, religious, and non-profit sectors that regularly serve the needs of the community, particularly the needs of minority groups that are typically poorly served by the broadcasting industry as a whole."
One could certainly argue that Catholic radio serves "minority interests" because there are lots of Catholics who are 'minorities.' On the other hand, the regs have onerous requirements on staffing, physical location, etc., which most Catholic stations simply cannot afford.
It will be interesting to see how the standards are applied.
HT: InsideCatholic
Hey Dad, what do you know about this?
ReplyDeleteToday, Catholic Conference Lobbyist John Huebscher (or maybe he is a lobbyist for the Democratic Party of Wisconsin??? - sometimes its hard to tell) was busy telling the legislators why it's a Catholic Value to raise the Minimum Wage.........prepare to have everything else go up in price if this bill goes through. The libs are fast-tracking it today by holding a hearing and voting it out of committee the same day.
Don't be surprised if numerous businesses decide to close up shop in Wisconsin and move to other states. That should prove to be a great thing considering our current economy and high unemployment rates.
Jo,
ReplyDeleteHuebscher is a twit. It might be relevant if anyone was actually PAID the minimum wage in Wisconsin.
Catholic teaching on compensation also emphasizes "Fair Day's WORK" for the "fair day's pay."
IOW, the Church doesn't endorse paying lotsa money just because someone shows up.