The FCC doesn’t seem to garner much favor in the media. I find myself wondering, although I already know the answer, why that might be. It’s clear that people, especially free-thinking school type people, are not fans of the Commission. I would bet that most of these individuals have no idea what the FCC really does, and many probably don’t even know what the letters stand for.
But the bad reputation is most often associated with the Enforcement Bureau, which happens to be just one of seven bureaus in the FCC. Can anyone name the others?
If you couldn’t list off the other six:
-Consumer and Governmental Affairs
-International
-Media
-Public Safety and Homeland Security
-Wireless Telecommunications
-Wireline Competition
Maybe it’s time for people to educate themselves on what all the FCC is responsible for exactly. It’s too often that shows like Family Guy (Freakin FCC) portray the FCC in a negative light, especially to the younger demographic. Though I’m sure many networks would rejoice at not having to worry about what they say on the air, where would that leave TV? Reality shows would turn into Jerry Springer meets Laguna Beach meets Temptation Island. I already have a great deal of trouble watching at least two of those. Sometimes I don’t mind watching a show and not hearing a F-bomb drop every other sentence.
The FCC is more than a pain in TV writers’ necks. It is a necessary regulatory committee. Without the FCC, where would the independent stations be? Bought out by the larger ones. Without the FCC you would probably be getting ads on your smart phone as you read this, whether you want them or not. Do you like not being bothered by telemarketers while you go about your everyday life? You can thank the FCC for that. Do you find comfort in being able to call 9-1-1 from any phone, anywhere and have local authorities help you? Again, the FCC.
So while it may be easier to sit back and laugh at shows on cable and trash-talk the FCC, maybe we all just need to take a moment to look at the bigger picture.
