I am proposing the immediate disbanding of the FCC. I proclaim it an utter waste of tax dollars, and think that the money should be redistributed to paying off the enormous debt this godforesaken country has incurred.
What was the original point of the FCC? Basically, twofold. It originally was supposed to regulate TV broadcasting standards - which includes technology standards (*edited for clarification** which also includes ensuring that public airwaves work properly and stations don't bleed into each other), and "indecency" standards, and to prevent the monopolization of TV stations. (i.e., to require that TV stations are not owned by the same two people)
The FCC has failed in both of its duties. The FCC is a mockery, anti-democractic, shit-bag of a governmental organization, and should be immediately disbanded.
Technology-wise, the FCC is requiring all stations to become HDTV compatible by a certain date - irrespective of how many HDTVs actually exist in certain regions, irrespective of the costs involved. This means that stations in poor regions, such as Katrina-ravaged WLOX in Biloxi, will have to abide by these HDTV standards, in a place that probably has no HDTVs!! This is a completely inefficient requirement. It costs millions to upgrade to HDTV compatibility, and requiring the upgrade for cash-strapped stations encourages that stations that cannot afford these upgrades will offer themselves up for sale to a bigger corporation. This ensures that the media is owned by as few people as possible. Society is not benefitting, though big corporations are!
Another lovely part of the FCC is the fact that they essentially regulate broadcast monopolies. For instance, Time Warner Cable owns the cable lines of NYC. The FCC ensures that competitors cannot come in and set up shop. How? In a lovely Supreme Court case that basically was ignored by the press (by lovely, I mean horrible), FCC v. Brand X Internet, the FCC said that companies that own cable lines can own a monopoly over the cable internet as well. This is supposedly to further investment in technology, but really, we know the truth: it's to help big corporations earn a bigger profit. So, crap cable providers are hence the only corporations that provide cable internet service. This jacks up the rates that we pay to ridiculous amounts - all lauded by the FCC.
Then there are the indecency standards. The FCC basically submit to the will of the Parent's Television Council re: that. This one religious-affiliated organization, made up of 50 members who are unelected and accountable to no one save for Tony "hate" Perkins lodged all of the complaints of "indecency" last year, save for three complaints. Yes, folks...they lodged ALL of the complaints. Each fine now is about $200,000 - NOT chump change! Much of what was "indecent" was basically pro-gay or anti-Bush. This directly goes against first amendment values - but then again, the FCC and the PTC are anti-democracy and anti-first amendment, so this all goes hand in hand. There have been countless examples of TV stations not airing something, for fear of an FCC fine. Oh, and if you want to challenge a fine, good luck! The FCC has a legal presumption that the fines are okay, according to adminstrative law principles. The Supreme Court said in the famous 1978 George Carlin case ("seven dirty words") that the FCC can pretty much do what it wants during the hours kids can watch TV. PTC has a heckler's veto over what we see, hear, and watch. The FCC basically bends over whenever the PTC asks them to. This must be stopped, except Congress and Ted ("bridge to nowhere in Alaska") Stevens are looking to expand the FCC's reach to cable TV. I am a viewer. Does what I want to watch have no merit at all?? Evidently not, according to the FCC.
All of the policies I mentioned further the overall goal of killing off the little guy, so Big Corporation can buy them all up. We basically get our news from three different big corporations, and I for one have a problem with that. The FCC has an explicit pro-monopoly policy, it is anti-democratic, unaccountable, and must be stopped.
Prove me wrong.