Re: WCOP... and the "country" lawsuit

[Shawn Mamros <mamros@MIT.EDU>]

>And I recall when I was working at WRVR, a jazz station in New York, and
>new owners were going to change the format.  A citizens' group got together
>and sued the station over that-- but from what I can gather, they ran out
>of money to pursue it.  With the FCC having little authority these days,
>owners can destroy even a unique format and the public has little that can
>be done.  But back in the 70s, this was happening too, and the FCC tended
>not to intervene.

But has the FCC ever asserted any "authority" over a station's format?
Certainly not in recent history - they don't even keep track of such
things; it isn't part of the current application for a broadcast station,
and hasn't been on any of the older applications I've seen (dating back
to 1961) either.  Personally, I prefer that they stay out of it - the
alternative would be far, far worse.

If private citizens want to sue a station over a format change - well, I
guess that's their right, but I can't imagine how a lawyer would even begin
to phrase an argument for that one...

- -Shawn Mamros
E-mail to: mamros@mit.edu

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