“Ol’ Dad” Ken Benner‘s mailbox is filling up with queries from RBR+TVBR Members.
“Why do you write?” “Where do you get your funding?”
Benner has some fun with those questions while sharing some “serious business” pertaining to “major projects involved with regulatory transparency pertaining to American broadcasting.”
Sounds like a great read to us!
By Ken Benner, CBRE, NCE
Thank you, RBR+TVBR readers, for all of your communication. Please keep those lovely cards, letters and e-mails rolling in!
Today, I address some of the “most significant” of all that mail with absolutely no intent to insult RBR’s paid Members.
Why do you write?
To enlighten and embolden.
How much are you funded and where do you get your funding?
I receive $1.23 million, annually sourced with a grant from Soviet Premier Vladmir Putin and the Russian Informed People for the Demise of American Democracy (RIP-DAD).*
Now, let’s get down to some really serious business, as we describe a couple of the major projects involved with regulatory transparency pertaining to American Broadcasting. There are two related research projects currently underway that anyone involved with American Broadcasting can play a role in.
Project #456 involves the assembly for examples of questionable and/or inappropriate fines, fees, forfeitures and (especially) legal expenses from targeted radio and television licensees. Such examples have recently been requested by parties affiliated with the FCC. Trust me, this item is absolutely factual!
The project realizes the reluctance of licensees to participate in such a project for fear of retaliation from parties profiting from intentionally legislated compexification rendering such regulations incomprehensible. One example is the thousands of pages in the Internal Revenue Code all designed to ease the substantial wallet-picking of the average American taxpayer.
Another easy-to-explain example directly related to our American Broadcasting Colleagues involves our lobbyist-controlled Congress, controlling enforcement organizations such as the FCC to pick broadcaster earnings, and to profit other entities external to the Commission.
Hey! c’mon we ain’t talking chicken feed here! This is costing million$ annually in addition to the rapid demise of our once very creatively-fun-filled, proud, profitable profession.
Project #456 seeks your input about your experiences with these experiences, and here is how communications will be protected by the two Coalitions involved:
After the integrity of each example is verified, minus the identity of the source, it will be reduced to a paragraph or two into a sworn notarized deposition and provided to the federal agency involved, as well as being made public. Should the affidavit be challenged, the source of the item will be contacted for permission to be identified.
Only with such permission granted will that party be identified. If it appears a subpoena may be eminent all such material will be promptly destroyed to protect the source.
Then, there is Project #789.
This important project involves the so-called FCC “Mock” inspection program, developed in 1995 under the general sponsorship of most state broadcaster associations under the premise that “passing” such inspection would prevent, in most cases, a “random” FCC inspection.
The “agreement” with the FCC included a number of exceptions for which the FCC inspector could still inspect and produce a substantial fine. Such exceptions were numerous and many “inspection-passed” stations were still visited and subsequently fined. One such program required its inspectors to sign an agreement to not assist in any way a non-compliant station to achieve compliance.
If you have been a victim of the “Mock Inspection Program,” (of which it was me who changed the name to “Alternative Inspection Program”) please consider sharing your experience(s) with this writer, who will include your once-verified experience into an affidavit for submission to appropriate authority.
Substantial examples of such abuse have already been filed with this project. Many will soon be processed for confidentiality and be addressed.
These projects are no joke. But, we can smile as we work together to greatly improve our ability for the future of American Broadcasting.
*Substantial research has determined that “Ostrich Syndrome” is quite prevalent among many members of the broadcasting industry. If you didn’t see this as “tongue-in-cheek” we suggest you read up on the legacy of Marx — Groucho Marx.
Ken Benner is an independent Alternative FCC Compliance Certification Inspector and a research analyst for the Coalition for Transparency, Clarification and Simplification of Regulations pertaining to American Broadcasting. Benner has more than 55 years of experience providing service to the broadcast industry.
The views expressed by Media Information Bureau columnists are those of the writer only and not of the editorial board of the Radio + Television Business Report or its parent, Streamline Publishing.
