NAB Case Analysis & Practical Application 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A small-market TV station's sole news van breaks down the night of a major local fire. The news director wants to use citizen-submitted smartphone footage. What is the primary editorial obligation before airing?
- Air it immediately since timeliness outweighs verification in breaking news
- Verify authenticity, obtain rights, and assess content for accuracy before broadcast (Correct answer)
- Obtain FCC approval to use user-generated content on licensed broadcasts
- Reject it entirely since only professionally shot footage meets broadcast standards
Correct answer: Verify authenticity, obtain rights, and assess content for accuracy before broadcast
Stations must verify UGC authenticity, secure rights, and assess accuracy before broadcast to uphold journalistic standards and avoid liability.
Question 2: A radio station's general manager is pressured by a major advertiser to pull a news segment critical of the advertiser's business practices. What is the appropriate response?
- Pull the segment to protect the advertising revenue stream
- Consult with the advertiser to soften the report's tone before airing
- Maintain editorial independence and air the segment without advertiser interference (Correct answer)
- Delay airing until the advertiser's contract expires
Correct answer: Maintain editorial independence and air the segment without advertiser interference
Editorial independence requires that advertising relationships not influence news coverage decisions, a core principle of broadcast journalism ethics.
Question 3: A TV station's license is up for renewal and a community group files a competing application alleging the station has not served local needs. What standard does the FCC use to evaluate the incumbent's performance?
- Whether the station achieved the highest possible ratings in the market
- Whether the station has served the public interest, convenience, and necessity (Correct answer)
- Whether the station generated sufficient local advertising revenue
- Whether the station met the minimum on-air hours required by FCC rules
Correct answer: Whether the station has served the public interest, convenience, and necessity
The FCC evaluates license renewals based on whether the station has served the public interest, convenience, and necessity throughout the license term.
Question 4: During a live call-in show, a caller begins reading out another person's home address and threatening language. What must the board operator do?
- Let the caller finish since censoring live speech may violate the First Amendment
- Delay broadcast and dump the content using the profanity delay system immediately (Correct answer)
- Transfer the call to station management before taking any action
- Allow broadcast but file a report with the FCC after the show
Correct answer: Delay broadcast and dump the content using the profanity delay system immediately
Board operators must use delay systems to dump threatening or harmful content before broadcast to protect third parties and avoid station liability.
Question 5: A station wants to air a paid political advertisement that contains a demonstrably false factual claim. Under federal communications law, what is the station's obligation?
- Refuse to air the ad since false political ads are prohibited by FCC rules
- Air the ad without editing since stations cannot censor legally qualified candidate ads (Correct answer)
- Require the candidate to correct the false claim before airing
- Add a station disclaimer labeling the claim as disputed
Correct answer: Air the ad without editing since stations cannot censor legally qualified candidate ads
Stations legally cannot censor or reject ads from legally qualified federal candidates, even if the content is false, under the no-censorship rule of Section 315.
Question 6: A network affiliate receives programming from the network that contains content the local GM believes is indecent for the time slot. What action can the station take?
- Air it without change since network affiliates bear no responsibility for network content
- Preempt the network programming and substitute alternative content (Correct answer)
- Ask the FCC for a temporary indecency waiver before airing
- Air the content with a parental advisory but make no other changes
Correct answer: Preempt the network programming and substitute alternative content
Affiliates retain the right and responsibility to preempt network programming that does not serve local public interest standards, including indecent content.
Question 7: A broadcast group purchases a radio station and discovers the previous owner allowed the public file to lapse for two years. What is the acquiring owner's obligation?
- No obligation since responsibility lies with the prior licensee only
- Restore the public file to current compliance and notify the FCC of the prior lapse (Correct answer)
- Request a waiver from the FCC for the lapsed period and continue normally
- Rebuild the public file only at the next license renewal cycle
Correct answer: Restore the public file to current compliance and notify the FCC of the prior lapse
New owners must restore public inspection file compliance and should proactively address prior violations to demonstrate good character to the FCC.
NAB Case Analysis & Practical Application 3
A small-market TV station's sole news van breaks down the night of a major local fire.
The news director wants to use citizen-submitted smartphone footage.
What is the primary editorial obligation before airing?