The broadcast industry faces new challenges in an uncertain future.
This is the message Dennis Swanson, executive vice president and chief operating officer for the Viacom Television Stations Group, left with the VCU community after he addressed his concerns about the Federal Communications Commission’s increasing regulations and his outlook for the future of television broadcasting.
The halftime show incident at Super Bowl XXXVIII where Justin Timberlake exposed Janet Jackson’s breast during a performance sparked a wave of controversy, which, he said, led authorities to impose stringent penalties.
“It took nine-tenths of a second, but the ramifications have had a tremendous impact on the broadcast industry,” Swanson told students, faculty and area media professionals during Tuesday’s School of Mass Communications’ Turpin Lecture on the Monroe Park Campus.
When the FCC fined Viacom and its subsidiaries $550,000 and issued a Notice of Apparent Liability citation, he said, it sent a clear message to broadcasters to re-evaluate their program content before its airing.
Swanson said this citation and others since threaten First Amendment rights for broadcasters and citizens alike.
“Think about if you want to live in a country where the First Amendment is not practiced,” he said, suggesting the latest FCC regulations could mean the end of live television.
For example, most shows choose to run on a 5-second delay. But to ensure they abide by FCC guidelines, some stations now avoid live coverage altogether.
Although American broadcasting has always been different from other countries because of the First Amendment, Swanson said he fears that the government regulations of the media in other countries may cross over to America.
Another issue he addressed during his lecture covered the 1966 Telecommunications Act that allows companies to own a greater number of broadcast outlets than they have in the past. Since this enables groups such as Viacom, Disney, Fox and General Electric to control 7.5 percent of television stations in the United States, Swanson said he doesn’t view this as a major issue at this time.
“You have major networks now that don’t make money,” he said. “That’s why so many are trying to acquire stations.”
What he does see as a major concern for media management, however, centers around companies having a fair, accurate and balanced approach to broadcasting.
“There’s an awful lot at stake,” Swanson said, referring to the high-profile incidents that may have discredited the integrity of broadcasting.
He cited two examples that occurred before the 2004 presidential election: Dan Rather’s endorsement of forged documents about President George W. Bush’s military record and the Sinclair Broadcast Group’s decision to air a documentary only on presidential candidate John Kerry’s military record. Neither report was considered fair, accurate or balanced.
The Turpin Lecture, first introduced in 2003 with speaker Tom Curley, newly appointed president and chief executive officer of The Associated Press, honors the legacy of William H. Turpin, former professor and first associate director of the School of Mass Communications.
Since Turpin’s expertise was editing and media management, the lecture’s purpose is to bring respected media professionals to help benefit mass communications students and professionals in the community.
Students’ reactions about the lecture varied.
“I think it provided a wonderful insight into some executives’ perspective of what goes on in the broadcasting world,” said Angela Castleberry, a senior broadcast major.
Others were disappointed.
“I thought it was going to be more about how he got into his career and about other careers in broadcasting,” said Maria Walker, a senior public relations major.
Many students said they were just satisfied to hear this television-broadcast pioneer speak. Swanson established one of television’s most popular primetime programs, Monday Night Football, and created the award-winning Oprah Winfrey Show.
The Peabody Award winner concluded his lecture by giving advice to broadcasting students by saying there is no magic formula to success in the industry.
“It’s more important to believe in yourself or no one else will believe in you,” he said. “Your performance will become your resume.”