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Originally Posted by RU OX Alum
why are the rules different for TV versus print?
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Because the airwaves are considered public property that TV and radio stations are given a license by the federal government to use in the public interest. This being the case, broadcast news outlets are not supposed to "take sides," but are supposed to allow equal time to various positions. Unlike print news outlets, they are regulated by the FCC.
The rules are also somewhat different for broadcase news outlets like local news shows or ABC, CBS or NBC that do use the public airwaves as compared to purely cable or satellite news outlets like CNN and Fox, which don't use the public airwaves and which viewers pay to receive.