Radio: Rebuke

When every U. S. radio listener was gulping in the bulletins on World War II, just starting, Manhattan’s WMCA scooped its competitors. It bought and broadcast the content of secret radio war orders from the German and British admiralties to merchantmen at sea. This was an obvious violation of the U. S. Communications Act, which guarantees the privacy of such communications. In mid-September WMCA was hauled up before FCC to show cause why its broadcasting license should not be revoked. Dismayed, contrite WMCA officials showed what cause they could, and FCC retired to think the matter over.

Last week the Commission issued its decision. Although there was “grave doubt” about the station’s “qualifications to operate in … the public interest,” the Commission was of the opinion that “an order of revocation of license need not be entered at this time.” Reason: “These particular broadcasts were provoked by the occasion, and are not necessarily indicative of widespread infractions in the course of this station’s broadcast activities.”