By BRIAN HOVE
Gray Television’s recent move to yank the plug on KTVF’s local news broadcast brings an untimely and regrettable end to decades of award-winning news programming delivered to viewers across much of Interior Alaska. There is no other way to paint this pig other than to say it’s a damn shame an Outside company 4,000 miles away can turn its back on Fairbanks – as if it’s nothing.
Fairbanks is not nothing.
Airwaves are a publicly owned asset. As such, broadcasters are required to meet certain regulatory standards. In fact, a broadcast license cannot be owned. It only gives the holder the right to use a particular frequency to carry a signal. Notably, the licensee must operate in service to the “public interest, convenience and necessity” per FCC rules and regulations. If the licensee is deemed to have substantially violated the public’s interest, the FCC can revoke the broadcaster’s license.
But, apparently times have changed.
It used to be broadcasters took their public-interest responsibility seriously since the financial consequences of violating the terms of their license could be catastrophic. Furthermore, broadcast licenses were not granted in perpetuity. So, the FCC held a high hammer over the broadcaster’s head, especially during the periodic renewal process. To qualify for renewal, licensees were obligated to submit material evidence supporting their compliance with the public-interest standard, among other hoops.
How was this accomplished?
A common and effective approach was to create programing of particular interest to their community, such as local news. Back in the day, I recall Hank Hove hosting a show in March or early April featuring a local tax specialist answering viewer questions. Such programming exemplified operating in the public interest. Of course, this was a time when community opinion mattered to the FCC, so it also mattered to the broadcaster. As noted, it seems times have changed. Does the FCC even care or still matter today?
For Hank, KTVF’s local news programming was critical to sustaining the station’s long-term viability. Even when network ratings were in a down cycle, KTVF maintained competitive separation over the course of several decades (dating back to the early 1980s) due to continuous investments made in local news. He loved returning home from industry tradeshows with some new whiz-bang gadget that would elevate KTVF’s news production ever closer to how the big dogs do it.
Of course, on-air talent was always key. Many successful anchors and reporters started their careers in Fairbanks. Some even stayed. I’ve had my favorites over the years, but Ann Secrest and Mike Shultz will always be top shelf. In the early days, Hank even took a couple turns at the anchor desk. This was before KTVF had teleprompters.
I’ll acknowledge any bias, but I recall he did a better than fair job memorizing copy on deadline, especially considering this was not his regular function at the station.
In any event, it’s difficult to reconcile how a licensee can drop local news programming in favor of a relevance-challenged substitute imported from hundreds of miles away while still operating within the FCC’s long-established public-interest standard. Clearly, Gray Television doesn’t give a damn about Fairbanks. By the way, if Gray’s pull-the-plug strategy proves successful, how long can Anchorage last?
Hank Hove’s son Brian is a UAF business graduate and a 44-year resident of Alaska. Brian and his wife Marilyn currently reside in Anchorage, but look forward to a day when they can once again call Fairbanks home.
