Chicago Television Institute

Why is there no Chicago Television Institute?

“They have been good corporate citizens. I strongly support the partnership between NBC Universal and Comcast.” And so stated Mayor Richard M. Daley before the Federal Communications Committee during hearings on Comcast’s proposed acquisition of NBC Universal in 2009.

Whenever a corporation with one or more broadcast licenses changes ownership, the FCC must approve the license transfer and Committee hearings with citizen input is part of the evaluation process. It provides an opportunity for ordinary citizens to grind their axes, vent their anger and project their fears. There is always complaints about too much content violence and vulgarity or too few minorities in positions of authority or ownership. Yet from the noise an issue of concern might arise to stall or even derail the license transfer. In recent years, the issue of “media consolation and diversity” has become a concern with some officials.

What was confounding about Daley’s testimony was that it was so vague. What in fact made NBC a good corporate citizen of Chicago? If by that he meant they had never publicly advocated cannibalism in Chicago, then they were good citizens. Not a very high bar! However, if he had used objective financial metrics such as capital expenditures or entertainment program production expenditures within Chicago, then NBC would have been found wanting. Indeed, it had been NBC that moved their Chicago-based entertainment programs to New York and LA that had diminished Chicago as a television program production center at the beginning of the television era at mid-twentieth century; and while they built new huge production facilities in Burbank, California and operated large studio facilities in New York and Washington, NBC had rented a small functionally obsolete, former radio studio in the Merchandise Mart originally built in 1931 for the first six decades of the television era. They had put little investment into Chicago and pulled a lot of profit out.

The most likely rational for Daley’s support was a shared interest: Daley was pursuing an Olympic bid and NBC had the North American broadcast rights to the Olympics. Corporate and civic interests currently aligned. But within a few months, Daley’s big Olympic dream came asunder as Rio won the bid. There would be more mergers, bankruptcies, and license ownership transfers but Chicago’s business and political leadership reverted to past practice and ignored these even though they impacted Chicago. Ironically, several years later an independent producer with ties to NBC began to produce original entertainment programming in Chicago for NBC but that was probably more about tax credits than obligation fulfillment.

Mayor Daley’s involvement in the Federal Government’s license approval process was something of a historical anomaly. Businesses have fought over licenses for the Chicago market, businesses that bought licenses in Chicago have immediately closed Chicago production and thrown hundreds of local performers out of work, all while Chicago’s leadership remains uninvolved. But who speaks for Chicago? The mayor is the highest elected leader but who provides him with the industry’s position? Why is there no Chicago Television Institute which would be comprised of all stakeholders?

For more about Chicago’s involvement in the television production industry, please read Chicago’s Radio & Television Industry History.