Freedom to Listen

Manhattan station WMCA broke with U.S. radio procedure and with the National Association of Broadcasters code last week. The point was whether radio time should be sold for the discussion of controversial issues. The N.A.B. code (unenforceable) has been against it-- except for political broadcasts. WMCA declared for it, with the following provisos:

> Time should be sold for controversial issues only if both sides are presented.

> Such programs should not be given under the guise of entertainment.

> Programs which might induce racial or religious intolerance should be rejected.

The watchdog of U.S. radio, FCC's James Lawrence Fly, said last week that it made no difference to him whether radio time for controversial discussion was paid for or given free-- so long as both sides got a hearing. WMCA assured both sides of just that (provided the station editorially approved of the discussion at all). WMCA was not entirely reassuring about what it would do if there were, say, seven sides to a question. But it became a highly interesting case study for students of freedom of speech (see p. 47).

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