Are you interested in helping to recreate television more to your
Bonnie Bracey
you think is not included here, just write what your concerns are. This is the
list that is thinking and reacting to it, but all comments, concerns, and
ideas are welcome. I would like to see an article or two that is
understandable to the regular people written that asks for these comment
somewhere.
In PIAC's transmittal letter to Vice President Gore on December 18, the
Benton Foundation was named as the home of the Committee's legacy. In that
role we have been posting the recommendations to this list as well as the
hub for the legacy project <www.benton.org>. We welcome your comments.
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Recommendation 2: Voluntary Standards of Conduct
Recommendation:
The National Association of Broadcasters, acting as the representative of
the broadcasting industry, should draft an updated voluntary Code of Conduct
to highlight and reinforce the public interest commitments of broadcasters.
The Advisory Committee believes that most broadcasters feel a strong
commitment to the public interest and their responsibilities as public
trustees, and behave accordingly. To reinforce public service interests and
standards, the National Association of Broadcasters adopted a "Code of
Conduct" that set out appropriate principles and standards, and recognized
those stations that adhered to the Code. The Code was abandoned in 1982
after the Department of Justice objected to certain aspects of the Code's
advertising provisions. (See Section II and Appendix B for more on this
history.)
A new industry statement of principles updating the 1952 Code would have
many virtues. The most significant one is that it would enable the
broadcasting industry to identify the high standards of public service that
most stations follow and that represent the ideals and historic traditions
of the industry. A new set of standards can help counteract short-term
pressures that have been exacerbated by the incredibly competitive landscape
broadcasters now face, particularly when compared to the first 30-some years
of the television era. Those competitive pressures can lead to less
attention to public issues and community concerns. A renewed statement of
principles can make salient and keep fresh general aspirations that can
easily be lost in the hectic atmosphere and pressures of day-to-day
operations.
To ensure that broadcasters fulfill their obligations as public trustees, we
endorse self-regulation by knowledgeable industry people. This could serve
as an effective tool to minimize government regulation. To that end, we
recommend that the National Association of Broadcasters, acting as the
representative of the broadcasting industry, draft a new set of principles
or statement of standards. The Advisory Committee hopes that the NAB will
develop and recommend self-regulatory standards to and for the industry. The
standards should be drafted and implemented by the NAB and the industry,
preferably with input from community and public interest leaders, without
pressure, interference, or direct or indirect enforcement by the government.
The public, the marketplace, and the court of public opinion can then judge
their efficacy.
What might a set of Standards of Conduct look like in the digital age? We
include in Appendix B a model draft, done by an Advisory Committee working
group under the leadership of Professor Cass Sunstein of the University of
Chicago Law School. Another model we have included is the Statement of
Principles adopted by the NAB Board of Directors to replace the old Code,
which can be found in Appendix C.
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