The FCC's main studio rule: achieving little for localism at a great cost to broadcasters

Localism, the communications law policy that requires spectrum licensees to serve the needs of local communities, represents a bedrock concept in the Communications Act and the FCC's jurisprudence. The FCC's 60-year-old main studio rule provides a vivid example of this principle. Broadcasters can often find compliance with this rule difficult and an exercise in form over substance, raising legitimate questions about the continued need and rationale for the rule. This article examines the rule's evolution and its current problematic state, and analyzes whether its modification or elimination would better conserve the resources of both broadcasters and the FCC, without having any detrimental impact on the public interest.