FCC Uses 'Common Sense,' Approves Plan for Online Database of Political TV Ads

Just as the sun was rising in Hawaii, Brian Stelter of The New York Times, broke the news with his report. The FCC has approved a plan for broadcasters to upload public files data to the web.

The information about ad sales is already contained in so-called public files, which stations are required to store at their offices. Moving the files online was described by the commission’s chairman, Julius Genachowski, as a “common sense” step toward transparency.

This is considered a victory to many such as FreePress, ProPublica, and former FCC researcher Steven Waldman. Though, as Stelter reported, there is still some dissent from the National Broadcast Association. They said,

“By forcing broadcasters to be the only medium to disclose on the Internet our political advertising rates, the F.C.C. jeopardizes the competitive standing of stations that provide local news, entertainment, sports and lifesaving weather information free of charge to tens of millions of Americans daily.”

Keep an eye on the FCC.gov page for updates on when the information will go live.