ENFORCEMENT OF PROGRAM PRINCIPLES

The principles outlined in the previous section are not idle promises. They represent a firm commitment on the part of WMOT Radio to its listeners. The Director/General Manager of WMOT Radio, having ultimate responsibility for the affairs of the station, has instituted the following practices to ensure that these principles are followed.

WMOT RADIO CLEARLY DELINEATES RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE ENFORCEMENT OF THESE PRINCIPLES.

Although the Director/General Manager bears authority over and responsibility for WMOT Radio programming, these obligations regularly rest on the News and Program Directors working under the supervision of the Director of Operations.

In day-to-day operation, the program producers, each of whom is responsible to one or another of the Directors, exercise control and bear responsibility, delegating authority, in turn, as may be necessary to accomplish their mission. In practice, then, program producers are required to enforce WMOT Radio's principles, conferring with their supervisors in questionable cases and subject to review by their supervisors.

WMOT RADIO AUDITIONS MATERIAL BEFORE BROADCAST.

This requirement applies to taped materials and written copy. For WMOT Radio produced programs, the producer or his responsible subordinate conducts the audition. For material acquired from outside WMOT Radio, the appropriate Director or h is responsible subordinate auditions the material. In the case of live broadcasts or other instances in which audition is not practical, the program producer takes appropriate steps, such as briefing program participates, to ensure that WMOT Radio principles are followed.

WMOT RADIO PROVIDES ADVISORIES TO LISTENERS WHEN MATERIALS OF QUESTIONABLE PROPRIETY ARE TO BE BROADCAST.

When broadcasting a live event, during which there is a probability that language will be heard that may be offensive to a significant portion of the audience, WMOT Radio notifies the listeners in advance.

When a producer of a topical public affairs segment concludes that proper treatment of an event or subject requires the inclusion of potentially offensive language, he has the segment reviewed by the appropriate Director before transmission. The Director will authorize broadcast of the language if he determines that it is necessary to the journalistic integrity of the segment, even though it may offend a significant portion of the audience.

When the material is less timely, that is, it does not have to be used on the day it is prepared, or is a work of art and the producer of the program which is to contain the material concludes that proper treatment thereof requires the inclusion of potentially offensive language, he has the material reviewed as above.

WMOT RADIO CONTINUALLY MONITORS AND ASSESSES ITS OUTPUT FOR PATTERNS OF ABUSE.

Since day-to-day responsibility for maintaining program principles rests with the program producers, the chief role of those above the producers in the chain of responsibility is to constantly assess and critique performances. On questions of accuracy, integrity, propriety, and in some cases neutrality, violations of WMOT Radio principles can readily be spotted and called to the attention of the responsible producer.

The broader goal of neutrality and balance is less readily assessable on the case by case basis and must be evaluated over a longer term. The Director of Operations, therefore, requires of the News and Program Directors periodic accounting of the balance of opinions presented, over time, on controversial subjects. Such accounts need not show an absolute balance in terms of minutes on the air or number of spokesmen for various sides of the question, but producers, through their Director, are expected to be able to demonstrate that reasonable opportunity has been afforded all sides to express their view.

WMOT RADIO WILL ACKNOWLEDGE ERRORS AND TAKE CORRECTIVE ACTIONS WHEN PRINCIPLES ARE VIOLATED.

When errors, imbalance, or violations of our principles are detected, the inquiry is acknowledged and assessed by the Director of Operations, who will order corrective action if necessary. In some cases the correction will require another air correction or an invitation for another point of view to be presented. In other cases, the action might be in the form of a reprimand to the offending staff. Hopefully, violations of principles will be rare and when they occur our own staff without requiring outside individuals to call them to our attention will catch them. When such errors or imbalances are discovered, we will correct them.

WMOT RADIO MAINTAINS A CONTINUOUS DIALOGUE WITH ITS LISTENERS AND OTHER INTERESTED GROUPS AND INDIVIDUALS ABOUT OUR ADHERENCE TO THESE PRINCIPLES AND IMPROVEMENT THAT MIGHT BE MADE IN THEM.

We do not pretend that our principles are the last word.

• In a changing world, our principles must mature and keep pace. But although subject to modification with time, we take these principles seriously and ask the public to help us live up to them.