Student Scholarship

Document Type

Research Paper

Abstract

Television and Government explores the rapid evolution of television in the United States and the intricate regulatory relationship between the industry and the federal government. Writing at a pivotal moment in broadcast history, Richards argues that television is destined to be the dominant medium of mass communication and a powerful democratic force, combining the immediacy of radio with the visual appeal of motion pictures.

The paper provides a detailed overview of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), established by the Communications Act of 1934 to manage the public domain of the electromagnetic spectrum. It examines the complex administrative and quasi-judicial functions of the FCC, particularly the challenging process of licensing. A significant portion of the work is dedicated to the technical and regulatory hurdles of frequency allocation, including the 1948 Television Freeze, a three-and-a-half-year moratorium on new station permits necessitated by unanticipated signal interference and inefficient channel distribution.

Richards details the resolution of the freeze through the Sixth Report and Order (1952), which introduced the Ultra High Frequency (UHF) band and established a nationwide Table of Assignments to ensure equitable service to both metropolitan and rural communities. The document also highlights the groundbreaking reservation of channels for non-commercial educational television, a policy championed to serve the public interest beyond commercial profit.

Finally, the paper addresses the delicate balance between government regulation and First Amendment freedoms. It discusses industry self-regulation through the NARTB Television Code and the influential role of public opinion in shaping broadcast content. Richards concludes that while television is still in its experimental adolescence, its potential for mass education and political vitalization is unmatched.

Research Highlights

  • The Problem: The researcher addresses the rapid and haphazard growth of the television industry in the early 1950s, which led to signal interference and an overcrowded electromagnetic spectrum, requiring government intervention to balance free enterprise with public interest. 

  • The Method: The paper provides a historical and administrative analysis of telecommunications regulation using Federal Communications Commission (FCC) reports, the Communications Act of 1934, and current frequency allocation data from 1945 to 1953. 

  • Quantitative Finding: The FCC’s Sixth Report and Order allocated 70 new UHF channels (14–83) and 12 VHF channels, establishing a nationwide table of 2,053 assignments in 1,291 communities; by March 11, 1953, 271 post-freeze construction permits were issued, bringing the total authorized stations to 305. 

  • Qualitative Finding: The research identifies five primary control factors for television: the U.S. Constitution, Congressional legislation, the FCC, industry self-regulation via the NARTB Television Code, and public opinion. 

  •  Finding: While the FCC maintains a "hands-off" policy toward program content to avoid censorship, the scarcity of airwaves as a public domain necessitates government licensing to ensure stations operate in the "public interest, convenience, and necessity".

Publication Date

3-1953

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