What FCC policy, now defunct, mandated balanced coverage of controversial issues by licensees?

• A. Equal-time rule
• B. Public service obligation
• C. Fairness doctrine
• D. Balanced reporting

Answer: (C)

Balanced coverage of controversial issues by licensees was mandated by the Fairness Doctrine. This FCC policy required broadcasters to present multiple sides of important public issues and to allow reasonable opportunities for opposing viewpoints or rebuttal. It aimed to ensure that the public could hear diverse perspectives rather than a single viewpoint on matters of public importance. The doctrine is now defunct because the FCC dropped it in the late 1980s, arguing that it was burdensome, potentially chilling free speech, and less necessary in a rapidly expanding and diverse media landscape.

The other options don’t fit as precisely. The equal-time rule specifically concerns giving political candidates equal airtime, not broad, balanced treatment of controversial issues. Public service obligation is a general expectation for broadcasters, not the named policy about balancing issue coverage. Balanced reporting is a descriptive goal, but it is not the formal FCC policy name.