Is Public Affairs Programming a 3 minute game?
By Nelson Davis When I began in Los Angeles television in 1977, TV stations begrudgingly but proudly produced hours of Public Affairs programming each week. KNBC, KTLA, KCOP and KHJ (now KCAL) all had staffs and resources dedicated to several programs that brought community interests and the stations closer together. No one does that anymore. Stations now tell the Federal Communications Commission that newscasts cover the needs of Public Affairs programming. What happened? Like major change in any business, turning Public Affairs into short packages and sound bites occurred gradually and for several reasons. The programs themselves were most often relegated to early morning time slots, and given minimal production values. Frequently dismissed as ‘talking heads’ shows, very few gained any commercial support. Of course, two of the longest running and most successful TV programs ever, “Sixty Minutes” and “Meet the Press” are talking heads shows. As local stations increased the length of n
