Re Telecommunications Carriers

I question the customer's right to connect his own terminals. It seems that this might prove a monstrous undertaking with far reaching results.

Radio

Deregulation of radio stations, eliminating Fairness Doc

trine, equal time and EEO regulation by Commission, this is truly The Constitution of the United

hazardous. Chaos could result.

States could be infringed upon.

I have been involved with the ascertainment process, and in some respects, find it to be a sham. It seems that it always takes place right before license renewal, and the questions asked do not always seem to be appropriate. However, this pr ocess is better than no

process.

.

It should be improved upon. Some stations do seem to have a sincere concern about what the people want to see and hear. Our Coalition has received strong support from WCPO-TV, WLW Radio and WLW TV, WAIF, WCET-TV, WSAI, WAKW, WVXU to name some.

Eliminating the Fairness Doctrine balan ce would no longer be required by on controversial issues. Eliminating equal time How would this be in regards to politics? Those with the most money could control elections. Eliminati ng EEO regulation (Equal Employment Opportunity Laws) it is almost eliminated now for example at times it seems that women and black people are used as window dressing on a weekend news show

Providing for indefinite licenses which are subject to revocation only for violation of technical standards is questionable. What about the moral fiber of our country? How about the social and ethical standards?

The random selection process sounds like a lottery. I just don't understand how this could work to favor minority groups. I know it reads two minority groups to one non-minority

but if licenses

go on indefinitely, how is any group going to get in?

The elimination of current ascertainment rules is appalling. I ttk would like to compare my home to the community. To have peace in our home, we must have input, consideration, and dialogue by the family members. There has to be consistency under the same roof.

I should hope a community would have the same chance for harmony by setting their own standards through the ascertainment process.

Television- The two five year licenses an d the indefinite terms could be comparable to a political party being in control indefinitely. Where's our American standards?

Replacing the "public interest" standard with a requirment that broadcasters provide news, public affairs and locally produced programs throughout the broadcast day could take away complete choice of the public who own the airwaves.

most money could control everything.

People who have the

Again the elimination of ascertainment rules is completely out of line with our freedom.

Public Broadcasting

There are good suggestions re "public broadcast stations." The end result would probably be based on the new funding sources.

Please, Mr. Luken, this is the year of the child I may sound old fashioned, or cornyy, but I love America its opportunities, high standards, love, trust, honesty, and understanding. As a

mother and a grand-mother, I beg you to give these matters yours
careful consideration. Keep an open ear to the little people.

We need regulation to keep our community standards. I do not
want our freedom of being part of the system, for being a factor in
determining what is seen and heard on radio and television taken
away. Please, grant us the responsibility of structuring the awe-
some presence of radio and television for the future of our society
in an effort to make this a better world.
have

Mr. Luken, I am a member of your

not let us down. You

are

your district. you Elling to hear what me

have to say. Many in your district share my neupoint.

Respe ctfully submitted

for the record by

Please consider this when
you take action on bills
re rewrite of the Communications

Act.

Virginia R. Colling

Virginia K. Collins,

Chairman, Citizen Action
Church Women United of

Greater Cincinnati, Inc. and

one of the founders and

immediate Past Co-Chairman of
Radio-TV/Citizen Reaction Coalition

Address: 2538 Meyerhill Drive

Cincinnati, Ohio 45211

Telephone number (513) 481-7631

July 3, 1979

Note : I am a member of Congressman Lukar's district.

Communications Commission, Archdiocese of Cincinnati, 426 E. Fifth Street, Cincinnati, Ohio 45202/513-421-5885

July 3, 1979

My name is John Hingsbergen. I am a Catholic priest of the Archdiocese of Cincinnati, associate pastor of St. William Church, Price Hill, and Radio Producer for the Archdiocese of Cincinnati. In the latter position I am involved in the production of four programs weekly on area radio stations.

Before ordination as a priest I was employed at a number of radio stations in the Hamilton and Oxford, Ohio areas. I served as announcer/ disc-jockey, news director, public service director and production director. I am concerned about current proposals for rewriting or revising the Communications Act of 1934 because of possible long-range effects on the service provided by the medium of radio.

Radio is still a rpimary source of news, information and entertainment for most of our nation's population. Radio is omnipresent.

Can count

Listeners

on vital information being available via radio no matter the time or place. The diversity of radio formats allow listeners to choose stations according to the type of information or entertainment they desire.

Since the beginning of radio broadcasting, some 60 years ago, religious, public affairs and community-oriented programs have been part of the standard fare of local stations and national networks. In the past most of this programming was provided by the broadcaster on a "sustaining" basis, in other words programs were aired free of charge as a service of the stations. Now many stations carry nothing but "paid" or commercial religious Religious bodies, and other community orgainzations are often

programs.

required to purchase air time like other advertisers.

I find this trend alarming especially since current F.C.C. law allows stations to receive as much credit for "paid" programming as for

the sustaining shows.

Complete deregulation of radio broadcasting, as is currently proposed by H.R. 3333 would only encourage this trend by removing all requirements for stations to air such programming.

Under current law, radio stations must go through a process of "Ascertainment of Community Needs" in order to renew their licenses. Although broadcasters and community groups agree that this process is less than ideal, elimination of such ascertainment, and of the entire renewal procedure, would allow many station owners to ignore the needs of many groups in their communities.

The very fact that radio stations offer such diverse programming formats, aimed at diverse population segments, demands that religious groups and other community organizations, have access to the radio airwaves. Within the current license renewal procedure, station owners are required to promise a certain amount of their broadcasting time for programming in these categories. Without such a procedure these groups could be ignored without the force of law to insure access to air time.

Any rewrite of the Communications Act should include provision for regular renewal of the licenses of radio stations, a process of ascertainment of community needs and a requirement that stations provide at least some air time for sustaining programming in the community interest.

If these elements are not included the needs of some population segments will be ignored, some community groups will be denied access to radio time and the burden of providing programming for such groups will be borne by

a few "conscientious" radio station owners while others concern themselves

with merely commercial interests.