One reason for the higher penetration of broadcasting is that only broadcasters' signals may be received by an antenna at no cost to the viewer. In contrast, cable and the Internet are available only at substantial cost. 8 See Newspaper Association of America, So Many Choices. However, the news is provided by local NBC affiliates, not an independent source. 10 See David Lieberman, The Rise and Rise of 24-hour Local News, Colum.
Additional examples abound.
For instance, one major media company, A.H. Belo, uses programming from its local television stations and newspapers to provide programming for its cable news channels in New Orleans, Texas, and the Pacific Northwest. Likewise, in Washington, D.C., the local cable news channel, Channel 8, which is commonly owned with the local ABC affiliate, WJLA, rebroadcasts much of the ABC News programming. 11 UCC, et al. believe that the fairness doctrine is a desirable mechanism to implement the more general requirement of fairness mandated by the Communications Act and that the doctrine advances First Amendment objectives. That aside, that affirmative obligation proposed here most certainly does not pose the kinds of problems which impelled a prior Commission to stop enforcing the doctrine. 14 UCC, et al. suggest that applicants should specifically certify that there has been no prior undisclosed programming arrangement or ownership interest.