[NFCB] Political Editorializing?

[Jeff Reynolds]

Thanks, Ginny

If I may comment on another aspect, which applies to ALL deejay 'rants' or 
editorials, political or otherwise...

Does your station give anyone who walks in off the street a live mic to make an 
unvetted, off-the-cuff editorial? If not, why should your DJs be allowed to do it?

Free & fair access to the airwaves doesn't mean "You must give me an open mic 
now, no matter what I'm planning to say..."  Your DJs should have to abide by 
the same procedures as anyone else before airing an editorial commentary - 
Someone from your staff should look over the proposed material (or listen to 
pre-recorded items) to check for slander, inappropriate language, etc. & decide 
whether or not to air it, just like a newspaper decides which letters to print.

(Not to mention the fact that, programatically speaking, editorials are just 
plain wrong in the middle of a music show!)

Thanks for the opportunity to 'rant' about rants!
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Jeff Reynolds, Ops Mgr    ||
KVNF                      ||     "Sing Gravelly, Act Yokelly"
Paonia, CO                ||                             -unknown
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Ginny Z. Berson wrote:
> Peter and all--I want to respond to one part of your query (which is not
> the part you're asking about).
> 
> When you're volunteers run an editorial or commentary opposing a
> candidate for public office, KBCS is running the editorial or
> commentary, and you are risking your nonprofit status.  It does not
> matter that you offer that candidate an opportunity to respond.  As a
> 501(c)(3) the station cannot support or oppose a candidate for public
> office.  And the volunteer DJ or PA host is the station when s/he is on
> the air.  (What people do off the air is of no concern here).
> 
> For more details, check out the March 2006 Community Radio News, which
> is archived on our website.  
> 
> Ginny Z. Berson
> Vice President and Director of Federation Services
> National Federation of Community Broadcasters (NFCB)
> 510 451-8200 ext. 305
> 1970 Broadway, Suite 1000
> Oakland, CA 94612
> www.nfcb.org
> 
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: nfcb-bounces at mailman.lmi.net [mailto:nfcb-bounces at mailman.lmi.net]
> On Behalf Of Peter Graff
> Sent: Monday, March 24, 2008 4:07 PM
> To: nfcb
> Subject: [NFCB] Political Editorializing?
> 
> Hi everyone,
> 
>  
> 
> We're currently reassessing our policy regarding on-air editorializing
> for programmers who do music shows.  KBCS is a community station with an
> educational licensee, and we currently have over 100 active volunteer
> music programmers.  Here's our policy as it stands now:
> 
>  
> Political Editorials
> 
>  
> 
> The FCC's political editorializing rule is: if a broadcaster runs an
> editorial or commentary opposing a candidate for public office, that
> candidate must be given a reasonable opportunity to present a response.
> Stations may tell candidates that the candidate must select a
> spokesperson to present their response in order to avoid an "equal
> opportunities" problem.
> 
>  
> 
> In addition, because of KBCS's nonprofit status, it is governed by
> Internal Revenue Service regulations which forbid the station from
> engaging in any form of partisan lobbying.
> 
>  
> 
> Although the FCC allows KBCS to editorialize on any subject, the station
> chooses not to do so. As an individual, however, a volunteer may express
> editorial positions, or can allow guests or phone callers to express
> opinions. It is the on-air programmer's responsibility to make clear to
> the listeners that such opinions are those of the individuals and are
> not necessarily an editorial opinion of the station, its volunteers,
> paid staff, or management.
> 
>  
> 
> I'd rather our music hosts not editorialize politically on the mic, and
> that they instead make their opinions known through the music they
> choose to play.  I've recently had a few music programmers who've
> started including political editorials (some would call them rants) into
> their shows, ranging from a few seconds to nearly 2 minutes.  I'm happy
> to have such programmers submit political editorials through our public
> affairs department, and follow the process put forth for any other KBCS
> public affairs producer.  But, in my mind, these editorial segments
> sound incongruous to the music show that surrounds them (and this has
> nothing to do with the opinions themselves-I wholeheartedly agree with
> them, but I think our policy should transcend any specific point of
> view, and apply coherently to left, right, center, and all points in
> between).
> 
>  
> 
> I'm interested in hearing how other stations-specifically community
> stations with a large number of on-air music programmers-navigate this
> issue.  Thanks.
> 
>  
> 
> Peter Graff
> 
> Program Director
> 
> KBCS 91.3 FM
> 
> Streaming and Podcasting at kbcs.fm
> 
> Phone: (425) 564-6162  Fax: (425) 564-5697
> 
>  
> 
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