Lawrence D. Longley

Parliamentary Committees: Changing Perspectives on Changing Institutions

Parliaments, which according to the then prevalent scholarly literature were expected to decline in significance in the decades of the 1960s and 1970s, actually have developed new and vital political roles and, in recent decades, have innovated in their institutional structure – most recurrently in their newly organised or invigorated parliamentary committees. This is in striking contrast to the seeming antipathy between a vigorous committee system and traditional parliamentary government. There has been a growth of the centrality of committees, not only in a few parliaments, but as a global phenomenon. Even as newly democratic parliaments throughout the world experiment with more elaborate committee structures, those with older, highly developed committee systems are reaching for more varied and flexible alternatives. In short, parliamentary committees have emerged as vibrant and central institutions of democratic parliaments of todays world and have begun to define new and changing roles for themselves...

The FM shift in 1945

The move of FM broadcasting from the 40‐50 mc band to the 88‐108 mc band in 1945 had a number of effects; among them were giving television another low‐band channel, rendering approximately a half million FM receivers obsolete, and setting the stage for some of the most penetrating probes of FCC decision making.

The F.C.C.’s attempt to regulate commercial time

Because advertising is the bread‐and‐butter of broadcasting in the United States, any attempt to limit the number and length of commercials is, bound to meet with strong opposition. One such unsuccessful attempt was made by the FCC only four years ago, but already memories of the events and maneuverings that swirled around this proposal are fading. Lawrence D. Longley investigated this topic in connection with his doctoral dissertation on “The Politics of Broadcasting” which is nearing completion at Vanderbilt University. Mr. Longley is instructor in the Department of Government at Lawrence University, Appleton, Wisconsin.

The FCC and the all‐channel receiver bill of 1962

After nearly a decade of pinning its hopes for an expanded television service to American homes on such concepts as good will and deintermixture, the members of the Federal Communications Commission who wished to break the vicious circle of UHF television broadcasting (no audience‐no sponsors‐no money for the station‐no good programs‐no reason for people to watch or buy receivers‐no audience, etc.) decided to support the principle of using legislative methods to ensure that all new television receivers would have the capability of receiving UHF as well as VHF. This would reduce the impact of technology, and would allow stations to compete on more equal footing. This decision took several years to make, and several more years of political wrangling before it could be implemented . . . the topic of this article. Dr. Longley, who has contributed to the Journal in the past, is assistant professor of government at Lawrence University in Appleton, Wisconsin.

Media Law and Regulation

Wayne Overbeck and Kick D. Pullen, MAJOR PRINCIPLES OF MEDIA LAW (New York: Holt, Rinehart SI Winston, 1982—price not given). NINTH ANNUAL COMMUNICATIONS LAW INSTITUTE (Practising Law Institute, 810 Seventh Ave., New York, N.Y. 10019 —335.00, two volumes, paper) Erwin Krasnow, Lawrence Longley and Herbert Terry, THE POLITICS OF BROADCAST RECULATION (New York: St. Martins Press, 1982—price not given, but available in both hard and paper editions). Elizabeth Maxfield. BROADCASTING AND GOVERNMENT: A REVIEW OF 1981 AND A REVIEW OF 1982 (National Association of Broadcasters0, 1771 N St. NW, Washington, D.C. 20036 —35.00, paper). MAJOR MATTERS REPORT AS OF JANUARY 1, 1982 (Washington,D.C.: Government Printing Office, 1982— price not given, paper).