Judge Defies FCC

For the first time in several years, a federal judge has denied the FCC an injunction to shut down an unlicensed radio station. The outlet in question is Vermont's radio free brattleboro; this new development hasn't legalized it, but it does allow the station to keep broadcasting until the judge rules on its constitutional arguments.

This comes just two weeks after a local initiative supporting the station passed by a vote of 1,519 to 780.

Comments

[MP]

My kid brother used to be involved in rfb as a hobby. He had a weekly radio show and even made me a tape once as I don’t live in the area. It was something he really enjoyed.

Was. Once the FCC got involved, he backed away hard. He has a family and didn’t want to risk any heavy-handedness by the FCC. The big stick of the FCC looks far bigger when they come knocking on your door and making serious threats. If you don’t have the resources to fight them, you could be screwed.

I’m encouraged by the ruling and by the town’s resolution of support. Beyond simply “not hurting anybody”, it was a valuable asset to a small community with limited entertainment options.