FCC dissasembles Radio Free Brattleboro

[Sid Schweiger]

>>What's sad about it all is that the FCC itself has, I'm afraid,
contributed to the image it now suffers from in the community radio
world. There's never been a concerted attempt on the part of the
Commission to explain to the public why it enforces the rules the way it
does, and often, the FCC never even makes ANY comment to the media when
it conducts a shutdown like this.<<

Maybe it's just me, but I have a problem with a government agency with
legitimate enforcement powers being forced to explain itself every time
they enforce the law against those who disobey it.  RFB has a lawyer,
who has presumably explained to them the consequences of continuing to
operate without a license (and if he hasn't, he should be fired).  They
chose to go ahead regardless, and now they bitch and moan because the
FCC's agents acted predicatably and within the law.  Moreover, RFB's
supporters knew full well that RFB was transmitting without a license,
and again they feign shock and horror over the perfectly predictable and
lawful actions of the Enforcement Bureau.  Sorry, but it doesn't wash
with me.

>>As I alluded to in NERW today, the FCC hasn't helped matters by
opening that misguided translator window (since frozen) last year.<<

The blatant abuse of the translator licensing process has been an
ongoing scandal for at least several decades, but because such a large
percentage of the translator owners are religious organizations, nothing
is going to be done about it and everyone knows it, especially under the
current administration.

>>But nobody - not the Commission, not the licensed broadcasters - is
making that case, so the "jack-booted thugs" rhetoric goes unchallenged,
which is a shame.<<

If the Commission had to answer every charge of "jack-booted thugs" or
similar drivel every time they shut down a pirate, their press office
would have no time for anything else.  There is copious material
available on the web and elsewhere which explains the consequences of
violating Section 301, so there's no really good excuse for not knowing.
 Perhaps it's the generalized mistrust of government which, as you and
others have pointed out, seems to pervade the state of Vermont, but just
because they don't like it doesn't mean they get a free pass on it.



Sid Schweiger
IT Manager, Entercom Boston LLC
WAAF - WEEI AM/FM - WMKK - WRKO - WVEI
20 Guest St / 3d Floor
Boston MA  02135-2040
Phone: 617-779-5369
Fax: 617-779-5379
E-Mail: sid@wrko.com