Abusing Their Privileges

Radio Record, Volume IV, Issue 33, 27 February 1931, Page 5

Abusing Their Privileges

Station Proprietors Indicted s mensinaentenened HCENTLY a paragraph appeared in ~ these pages concerning the charges brought by the Federal Radio Commission of America against the proprietor of a radio station for broadcasting "obscene, profane and indecent language." It now appears that this broadcaster, who was convicted on the charge in question, has again been brought before the Radio Commission to determine whether or not he should be permitted to "go over the air" again. In support of his claim he was able to bring forward 167,000 . affidavits in which listeners attested that. "they could not live without his -programmes." So‘great, indeed, was.this avalanche of testimony that it could not be contained within the court itself, and a room was rented specially to hold it. It is doubtful whether the new liecense will be granted, but apparently such is the appeal of the broadcasting methods described that two other. station proprietors have been indicted for a similar offence. ‘ The second was a defeated candidate for Congress who used a particular sta~ tion in order to heap criticisms upon those, who opposed his candidacy, He was adjudged guilty of violating that provision of the Radio Act which says that "no person within the jurisdiction of the United States shall utter any obscene, indecent, or profane lang~ uage by means of radio communica~ tion." The third case was that of a Senator who made a violent broadcast attack against the "radio trust" and was defeated in his purpose, not by the Radio Commission, but by an ingenious enemy of his. While the full flood of his inspired eloquence was in course of transmission, a spurious 8.0.8. alarm caused his speech to be shut off.