The Broadcast Licensing in the Public Interest Act (H.R. 4882), introduced by Rep. Anna G. Eshoo (D-Calif.), would strengthen public interest obligations on broadcasters by requiring those seeking license renewal to demonstrate that they have made a dedication to civic affairs in their community.

The bill mandates that broadcasters air locally produced programming and make a commitment to provide a public presentation of the views of candidates and issues related to local, state, or national elections. The bill also requires that broadcasters provide quality educational programming for children.

Finally, the bill reduces a broadcast license term from eight to three years to bring greater oversight into license renewals.

Resources

Read Free Press's letter of support [1] for the bill.