Re: Oldies, contest?

["Dan Billings" <dib9@gwi.net>]

----- Original Message -----
From: "Garrett Wollman" <wollman@khavrinen.lcs.mit.edu>
To: "Dan Billings" <dib9@gwi.net>
Cc: <boston-radio-interest@khavrinen.lcs.mit.edu>
Sent: Friday, January 18, 2002 7:46 PM
Subject: Re: Oldies, contest?


> I don't
> know the general terms of those laws everywhere, but I could easily
> imagine a state requiring all contests to be open to every member of
> the general public who is not employed by the contest operators.

You might imagine that such a law exists, but unless it does, excluding your
competitors from a contest would be legal.  The original question seemed to
be passed on the premise that such a prohibition would be illegal, unless
specifically authorized by law.  I thought the question was passed on a
flawed premise.

States are most concerned with companies not turning contests into illegal
lotteries by limiting contest to paying customers.

As for radio station contests, I think it is good policy to prohibit
employees of any station from participating in contests.  Someone working at
another station may have an advantage in winning the contest from their
professional knowledge of how such contests usually work, they are more
likely to have access to inside information that might help them win the
contest from friends or former colleagues working at the station, or they
may be trying to cause problems for their competitors by participating in
the contest.

-- Dan Billings, Bowdoinham, Maine