December 6, 2011: In a story by Meredith Hoffman headlined "At TV and Radio Outlets, Little-Known Trove of Kudos and Complaints," the New York Times reports on its efforts to get access to radio and TV stations' public files -- efforts that weren't always immediately successful.
FCC regulations requires that any member of the public be given access to the public file on request during regular business hours, but the NYT reports that a receptionist at Emmis' WRKS and WQHT "looked puzzled at the mention of a public file" and asked the reporter to leave a message, to which the reporter never got a response. At the Clear Channel/New York offices, an employee "chided a reporter for trying to enter without an appointment." Comcast's WNBC-TV also asked that the reporter make an appointment, and insisted on knowing who the reporter worked for. Public outlet WNET-TV, however, granted "instant access" to the files.
FCC Media Bureau spokesman David Fiske told the paper, "We don't have study hall monitors running around trying to enforce every single rule," but added that the public file is "an especially important rule" because it offers insights into how stations function.
The Times did ultimately get access to the public files, and reported on some of what was found there, including a "thick stack" of pleas that WRXP -- flipped from Triple A to news after it was purchased by Merlin Media -- change back to its old format.
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