Public Notice                              FCC 67-368

              FOREIGN LANGUAGE PROGRAMS                        


Adopted: March 22, 1967                    Released: March 30, 1967

By the Commission: (Commissioner Wadsworth absent.)

The Commission cautions broadcasting stations to maintain adequate controls over their foreign language programming.  

Essential to the exercise of proper licensee responsibility in this matter is knowledge of the content of such broadcasts. Commission inquiry reveals that a number of licensees have no familiarity with the foreign languages and, thus, no knowledge of the content of such broadcasts. They explain their practices as follows: (1) they permit only persons of established reputation for judgment and integrity to use their facilities; (2) copies of commercial announcements used on foreign language programs must be submitted in advance in English translation; (3) recordings of all programs are made and retained for future 
reference. We do not regard such procedures, in and of themselves, as sufficient to insure licensee knowledge of and control over foreign language programming.

Licensee responsibility requires that internal procedures be established and maintained to insure sufficient familiarity with the foreign languages to know what is being broadcast and whether it conforms to the station's policies and to requirements of the Commission's 
rules.


Failure of licensees to establish and maintain such control over foreign language programming will raise serious questions as to whether the station's operation serves the public interest, convenience and necessity.

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