Pinpoint Station and Market — Pinpoint Station and Market

To evaluate a rumored broadcast restriction, it is necessary to identify the specific station and its local market. Under federal guidelines, broadcast licensees are licensed to serve specific local communities and must air programming responsive to local needs.

Because programming decisions are made at the local or licensee level, a song's absence from one station's playlist does not mean it was banned nationally. Pinpointing the station helps clarify whether the decision was a local programming choice rather than a widespread restriction.