Re: WEVD (was WFAN New York)

["'A. Joseph Ross'" <lawyer@world.std.com>]

On Tue, 5 Aug 1997, Rob Landry wrote:

> I think the question is where the line falls beyond which it can be said
> that a station is illegally discriminating on the basis of someone's
> religion.  To my knowledge WCRB, for example, has rejected some
> advertisements because station management deemed the ads deceptive.  But
> could the station legally reject one because of an advertiser's religion?

I think the law would treat WCRB differently from a station which exists
to promote a particular religious message.
 
> However, if a commercial radio station had done so, the decision would
> have been different, I suspect.  Radio stations operate under EEO
> requirements that are (in my opinion) excessive; it is almost impossible
> to comply with them because on the one hand stations aren't allowed to
> discrminate on the basis of race or gender, but on the other hand they're
> required to recruit a certain number of minority and female employees. 
> 
> The only way out, it would seem, is to have less than five full-time
> employees.

In Massachusetts, the MCAD and EEO work together on discrimination cases,
and the EEO generally defers to the state agency.  ANd it was the MCAD,
upheld by the state courts, that allowed the Jewish Community Center to
refuse to hire someone because he wasn't Jewish. 

==============================================================================
  A. Joseph Ross, J.D.                                          617.367.0468
  15 Court Square                                       lawyer@world.std.com
  Boston, MA 02108-2503                        http://world.std.com/~lawyer/
==============================================================================

------------------------------