From: Rafal Smigrodzki (rms2g@virginia.edu)
Date: Wed Aug 28 2002 - 15:27:39 MDT
Kevin Bluck wrote:
It has been decided that the airwaves are public property, much like public
parks, and commercial use must be in the best interest of the public.
### Very bad idea. Instead of allowing the listeners to decide how they want
to use the airwaves (by listening to the stations they want to listen to),
instead of allowing the content providers to decide what to provide (by
listening to their listeners' opinions through Nielsen ratings or a similar
system), you have a bunch of bureaucrats who do not care about you, Kevin,
or the public, either.
------
Well, the airwaves are public property just like Central Park. Your
libertarian reasoning treats them as *private* property, which they are
not. Now, perhaps you think they *should* be private property. That, of
course, is a completely different question than whether the FCC acted
appropriately to penalize O&A's home station for their on-air conduct.
### If the airwaves are indeed public, there is even less legitimacy to the
suppression of free speech there.
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For O&A to be the beneficiary of this enormous FCC-provided megaphone, and
then to whine that they aren't allowed to do absolutely anything they
please on the air that might make them more money, in my opinion insults
those with legitimate free speech issues. There have to be limits to
privilege.
### O&A paid for their license. Hard-earned ownership is not privilege.
------
The FCC serves the role of cop, knocking down and dragging away any other
speaker who might try to set up their own soapbox within earshot of the
privileged speaker. It simply wouldn't be allowed under the current
regulatory scheme. That first speaker has an unfair advantage, a monopoly.
### Exactly! Mike Lorrey pointed out the same, and the best way to stop it
is to disband the FCC.
-----
Again, perhaps you think it shouldn't be this way. But, that's how it is
right now.
### But it *can* be changed! If enough people act against the FCC-enforced
monopolies, they will lose.
Rafal
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