Frieda Hennock's Opposition To Fairness Doctrine

The purpose of this study is to understand the logic behind Frieda Hennock’s opposition to “fairness doctrine,” and map her vison of the future of U.S. broadcasing by analyzing her notes, letters, papers, and mimeographed speeches during her term in FCC (1949 -1955). Particularly, this paper focuses on the reasoning behind her dissenting the controversial broadcasting policy, “fairness doctrine” in 1949, and on her thoughts underlying her works in FCC. She was a first woman appointed in 1948 to the Federal Communications Commission commissioner. Hennock undertook an important role in the development of U.S. broadcasting industries, and set the groundwork for the development of educational broadcasting. Hennock also tried to improve the gender balance in the industries. Even though there are previous studies on “fairness doctrine” and her achievement of promoting broadcasting is mentioned in every broadcasting history textbooks, there are few studies emphasizing her dissenting opinion appeared in the FCC’s report of 1949, In the matter of editorializing by broadcast licensees. Report of the Commission, which implemented fairness doctrine. This paper shed the light on Hennock’s broadcasting policy while re-examining the history of fairness doctrine to examine Hennock’s thinking and its implication for

broadcasting. She promoted educational broadcasting because she thought that creating a non-profit entities alternative to commercial broadcasting would lead to new types of competition and prevent the monopoly of the broadcasting system by powerful entities. She believed that diversifying the industries by promoting educational broadcasting eventually contributes the development of media that reflects diverse views, and even the better democratic society. This foresight of the U.S. broadcasting implemented by her may give a new guideline policy to examine the issues of fairness in the broadcasting