Programming Content and Quality
Roger Kennedy · Law and Contemporary Problems · 1957
To its creator, a television or radio program may seem a work of art.To a station, or a network, it is a commodity to be sold, existing not so much for its own value, but so that the time it occupies may be sold and adjacent blocs of time may rise in market value.To the advertising agency, it is a camouflage or carrier of commercials which seek to induce and direct spending.To the "talent" it presents, it is a forum, or a stage, or a market.And to the Federal Communications Commission, it should be a contribution to the public interest, convenience, and necessity.'I will try to picture the spawning ground of these programs, the way in which their content and quality are affected by federal and private regulation and influence, how their value is gauged, and then conclude with some suggestions for their improvement.