Silicon Investor (SI) -- The First Internet Community

STOCKTALK

We've detected that you're using an ad content blocking browser plug-in or feature. Ads provide a critical source of revenue to the continued operation of Silicon Investor. We ask that you disable ad blocking while on Silicon Investor in the best interests of our community. If you are not using an ad blocker but are still receiving this message, make sure your browser's tracking protection is set to the 'standard' level.

Pastimes : Let's Talk About Our Feelings!!! -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: greenspirit who wrote (71633)	1/8/2000 3:29:00 PM
From: Ilaine	Respond to of 108807

You ought to read the FCC decision, which explains the ruling. It's not aimed at religious stations in general. fcc.gov In a nutshell, the issue is the competition between two prospective licensees for a particular type of television license, that of a noncommercial educational television station. To have a noncommercial educational television license, the station must devote at least some programming time to programs which serve the educational, instructional or cultural needs of the community. One petitioner asserted that the other one should NOT get the license because the other station was primarily a religious station. The FCC ruled in favor of the religious station, because some of the programming was not religious in nature, but devoted to the educational, instructional or cultural needs of the community. So, the religious station won. Here is one of the salient findings of fact: >>44. In assessing whether a program has as its primary purpose service to the educational, instructional or cultural needs of the community, ?we will not disqualify any program simply because the subject matter of the teaching or instruction is religious in nature.? We do not believe that the discussion of religious matters during a program that has as its primary purpose service to the educational, instructional or cultural needs of the broader community disqualifies the program from being a ?general educational? program under Section 73.621. Conversely, however, not all programming, including programming about religious matters, qualifies as ?general educational? programming. For example, programming primarily devoted to religious exhortation, proselytizing, or statements of personally-held religious views and beliefs generally would not qualify as ?general educational? programming. We reiterate that the reserved television channels are intended ?to serve the educational and cultural broadcast needs of the entire community to which they are assigned,? and to be ?responsive to the overall public as opposed to the sway of particular political, economic, social or religious interests.?<< Unfortunately, not many non-lawyers understand how to read legal opinions. I would say that the decision was much more generous to the religious station than I would have been.