Blue Book of 1946
The Blue Book of 1946, formally titled "Public Service Responsibility of Broadcast Licensees," was a significant report released by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) that aimed to address concerns about broadcasters' adherence to their public service obligations. Commissioned in response to numerous complaints about discrepancies between what licensees promised in their applications and their actual broadcasts, the report was led by Dr. Charles Siepmann, a former executive from the British Broadcasting Corporation.
The Blue Book criticized American broadcasters for providing insufficient programming on local public affairs and excessive commercial content, urging the FCC to consider broadcasters' programming records during license renewals. This marked a pivotal moment in broadcasting policy, as it proposed utilizing the FCC's licensing authority to enforce public service standards. However, the report faced intense backlash from the National Association of Broadcasters and some political figures, who argued it infringed on First Amendment rights. The resulting pressure led the FCC to temper the implementation of the Blue Book’s recommendations, rendering its directives largely ineffective despite never being officially rescinded. This historical document reflects the ongoing tensions between regulatory oversight and the rights of broadcasters in the United States.
Blue Book of 1946
Type of work: Government report
Released: March, 1945
Authors: Officers of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC)
Subject matter: Critical evaluation of the failure of American broadcast licensees to meet their obligations to provide public service programming
Significance: Members of the broadcasting industry denounced this report as an attempt at anti-American censorship and rendered its recommendations ineffective by their resistance
During the late 1930’s and early 1940’s the FCC received many complaints about the wide discrepancies between what broadcast licensees had promised to broadcast in their license applications and what they were actually broadcasting. Concerned that broadcasters were not living up to their public service obligations, the FCC hired a former British Broadcasting Corporation executive, Dr. Charles Siepmann, to direct a study of the problem and to make recommendations on improving its program evaluation service.
In March, 1945, the FCC released Siepmann’s formal report, Public Service Responsibility of Broadcast Licensees—which became known as the “Blue Book” after the color of its cover. Focusing on a selected group of licensees, the report charged American broadcasters generally with failing to provide enough programming on local public affairs or public service issues, and with airing excessive numbers of commercials. The report advised the FCC to use its licensing powers to ensure that stations adhere to certain broad guidelines in order to meet their public service obligations, and it recommended that the commission review stations’ past records at license renewal time.
The Blue Book proposed an unprecedented policy for the FCC, which for the first time would take into account the programming records of mainstream broadcasting stations when issuing their licenses. The National Association of Broadcasters immediately began attacking the FCC and its members, however, charging them with trying to interfere with the First Amendment rights of member stations. The unexpected intensity of these attacks—which were supported by some members of Congress—caused the FCC to back off from the Blue Book’s recommendations. Although the FCC never officially rescinded this report, broadcaster resistance rendered its directives largely ineffective.