Why the FCC is Useful

Although the Federal Communications Commission, also known as the FCC, seems to be inconsistent and fairly useless when it comes to censoring speech that is broadcast, it does have its uses. As a side note, the FCC really only cracks down on broadcast stations; other forms of communication, including cable, satellite, Internet, etc are not nearly as heavily regulated and enjoy a lot more freedom when it comes to indecent speech. (For more information on how the FCC affects broadcast freedom of speech, read my article, Radio Censorship and the FCC).

Established in 1934, the FCC was meant to regulate radio stations when the radio first became popular. Before the FCC was created, people got overly excited about the possibilities of radio and they jammed the frequencies. Because there were so many people trying to host radio shows at the same time on the same frequencies, no one could actually hear any of these shows, and eventually people asked the government to step in.

The FCC delegates frequencies in the radio spectrum part of the electromagnetic spectrum. This is why all radio stations end in odd numbers; this ensures that radio broadcasts will not overlap. In the U.S., the FCC and the National Telecommunications and Information Administration, also known as NTIA, split the responsibility of dividing the radio spectrum. The NTIA handles Federal use of the spectrum, and the FCC works with non-Federal use of the spectrum-this means it works with state, local government, commercial, private businesses, and personal use. Right now, frequency bands between 9 kHz and 275 GHz are used for non-Federal use.

By designating frequencies, the FCC ensures that broadcasts do not overlap, and people can easily hear and enjoy whatever is being broadcast. Also, the FCC makes sure that broadcast stations do not go above a certain power. There is a theory floating around that a certain amount of power can hurt wildlife, so if this is true, then the FCC is helping protect nature.

The FCC has also played an important role in telecommunications. For example, the Telecommunications Act of 1996 that it passed allowed telecommunication companies to merge and offer a variety of services. Before that, for example, phone companies could only provide phone services. However, after 1996, these companies were able to offer more to their customers. This is why you see bundled packages from Verizon and Cox, for example, and you can get phone, Internet, and TV all in one. This is good for the consumer because it promotes competition, which lowers prices and forces companies to continually improve their products. Although this has allowed for conglomerates, it is actually good for the consumer. While this seems counter intuitive, it is beneficial to consumers because those big businesses want to make as much money as possible so they will still do whatever it takes to attract more consumers, which means there is still competition and improvement. Also, nowadays there is less brand loyalty which motivates them even more to entice consumers, and many large conglomerates even promotes competition among itself.

References:

http://www.fcc.gov/oet/spectrum/

http://www.fcc.gov/aboutus.html