RE: FCC gives ultimatum to Radio Free Brattleboro

[Damon Cassell <radiofreak@4motion.org>]

On Fri, 5 Sep 2003, Brian Vita wrote:

> Quoted from article:
> 
> "Jim Maxwell, a local attorney who is assisting rfb, wondered why the FCC is
> going after small 10-watt stations."
> 
> Um, Jim, could it be that they're breaking the law?  Must have been out that
> day in law school.

Is it really that simple? He's just an ignorant lawyer, oblivious to the 
obvious illegality of pirate broadcasting? Or, did he really mean to say 
something like "in an age of hyper-consolidation, rapidly 
growing media monopolies, corporate fraud and malfeasance, etc., why is 
the FCC aggressively targeting a rural pirate radio station that quite 
probably doesn't hurt anyone or amount to anything?" Or maybe he said 
something like that and the journalist, not wanting to confuse his 8th 
grade level readers, paraphrased for him?

While I don't disagree that RFB is breaking the law, and trying to argue 
otherwise is fruitless, doesn't it (broadcasting, without a license, 
with 10 watts.. in Vermont) really amount to radio jaywalking? 

My point is not to argue the issue of pirate radio broadcasting and the 
law, I am just pointing out that I think I know what he was trying to say. 

Regards,
d