Reed Hundt Quotes
Isn't it only appropriate that, in return for the free use of the public spectrum, broadcasters provide something substantial, something that wouldn't otherwise be provided by marketplace competition?
Hundt, Reed E. "The Public's Airwaves: What Does the Public Interest Require of Television Broadcasters?" Duke Law Journal, vol. 45, no. 6, 1996, pp. 1089-1129.
This is an incredible quotation by the American political standards of the 21st century. Coolidge was President and the conservative wing of the Republican Party controlled Congress. There were thousands of radio stations operating. The small commercial and amateur, and community radio stations were thriving but they could only afford small transmitters that only reached the local area. The large commercial radio stations wanted by be able to broadcast to the entire country (see {641989})and could afford huge transmitters but if a local station was on the same frequency the small station would dominate in the local area and not the large stations. The large corporations then lobbied the Federal Radio Commission and the Congress and this policy was adopted. Thousands of small radio stations were kicked off the airwaves so that the large corporate stations could have “clear channels” across the country. It turned out that the small entities did not have equal rights and it was a blatant Federal handover to the large corporations. (See {641992}).)Small stations were only able to broadcast with the advent of FM which only became economically feasible in the late 1940s although FM was patented in 1933.
Reed Eric Hundt is an American attorney who served as chairman of the United States Federal Communications Commission from November 29, 1993 to November 3, 1997. Appointed by President Bill Clinton, he served for most of Clinton's first term. He was succeeded by William Kennard.
