FCC shuts down Alex Jones’s flagship radio station

[Pogo]

Because nothing says "Land of the Free" like having to pay the government for permission to exercise your First Amendment rights.

There's no such thing.

You get a license awarded to use a very very finite space of the ether. And you don't PAY for it at all.

Before the Federal Radio Commission (forerunner of the FCC) was formed by Herbert Hoover the airwaves were chaos. Anybody who could afford a bigger transmitter could and would just drown you out. Imagine a busy intersection of two highways, with no traffic lights.

So it's free, he just didn't renew his license? Is that why they called is a "pirate" station?
You'd think Jones would have renewed his license, especially if it's free.

No, they never had a license. They just acquired a transmitter and fired it up.

A license doesn't have a government fee but it does have stringent qualification requirements, and internal costs. There are effectively no (new) licenses to be had as all the space has long ago been spoken for. They could however (i.e. anyone could) have bought an existing station and/or bought time on one.

And even if space could be found, now that these pirates have a history on that side of the FCC they could never qualify for a real license. That rules them out.

 

[Slade3200]

Because nothing says "Land of the Free" like having to pay the government for permission to exercise your First Amendment rights.

I guess you could make the same arguement about border enforcement, right?

 

[Pogo]

Can everyone simmer down here? The problem has nothing to do with his content. I don't think, anyway.

Absolutely correct. FCC shuts down stations with no licenses. Especially heavy in Brooklyn and in Florida.

The FCC has no interest in what anybody's content is --- as long as it's not libel or fraud. The aforementioned John Brinkley, who I incessantly work into Alex Jones' name, was in his time engaging in fraud, which is why he got kicked off the air. He then went to pioneer the Mexican 'bordercasters', hugely powerful stations just over the border where regulations were less stringent, so he could sell goat testicle surgeries.

I'm not even making that up --- goat testicle surgeries. Which reminds me of much of Jones' wares.

 

[Geaux4it]

Because nothing says "Land of the Free" like having to pay the government for permission to exercise your First Amendment rights.

Yelling fire in a crowded theater is not protected speech. Sedition is a crime, and Jones is lucky he's not in jail.

No he is not lucky, he is an American and Patriot. Don't like what he is saying, turn the dial

-Geaux

Do you support this?

18 U.S. Code § 2384 - Seditious conspiracy

If you do then Jones is a person who is not a patriot.

The Constitution of the United States provides patriots, who feel wronged by laws passed by Congress and signed by the President, the ability to peacefully remove those persons, and replace them every even year. What is required is Freedom of Speech and the energy to and ability to vote.

The First Amendment does not protect seditious speech, and this is what Jones exemplifies.

You're kidding right? If not, then you must also support the same for Maxine Waters and many in the Democrat party.

Because nothing says "Land of the Free" like having to pay the government for permission to exercise your First Amendment rights.

Yelling fire in a crowded theater is not protected speech. Sedition is a crime, and Jones is lucky he's not in jail.

No he is not lucky, he is an American and Patriot. Don't like what he is saying, turn the dial

-Geaux

Do you support this?

18 U.S. Code § 2384 - Seditious conspiracy

If you do then Jones is a person who is not a patriot.

The Constitution of the United States provides patriots, who feel wronged by laws passed by Congress and signed by the President, the ability to peacefully remove those persons, and replace them every even year. What is required is Freedom of Speech and the energy to and ability to vote.

The First Amendment does not protect seditious speech, and this is what Jones exemplifies.

Then you should add Maxine Waters and Madonna to your list.

Maxine said " I will go and take him out tonight"

Madonna said she "often thinks of blowing up the Whitehouse"

Antifa members were on camera saying they would murder and beat the President of the United States

All for one and one for all

-Geaux

 

[Fugazi]

Because nothing says "Land of the Free" like having to pay the government for permission to exercise your First Amendment rights.

I don't think needing permission to broadcast over the airways is a First Amendment issue, but rather that there are a finite amount of frequencies.

 

[Wry Catcher]

Because nothing says "Land of the Free" like having to pay the government for permission to exercise your First Amendment rights.

Yelling fire in a crowded theater is not protected speech. Sedition is a crime, and Jones is lucky he's not in jail.

No he is not lucky, he is an American and Patriot. Don't like what he is saying, turn the dial

-Geaux

Do you support this?

18 U.S. Code § 2384 - Seditious conspiracy

If you do then Jones is a person who is not a patriot.

The Constitution of the United States provides patriots, who feel wronged by laws passed by Congress and signed by the President, the ability to peacefully remove those persons, and replace them every even year. What is required is Freedom of Speech and the energy to and ability to vote.

The First Amendment does not protect seditious speech, and this is what Jones exemplifies.

You're kidding right? If not, then you must also support the same for Maxine Waters and many in the Democrat party.

Because nothing says "Land of the Free" like having to pay the government for permission to exercise your First Amendment rights.

Yelling fire in a crowded theater is not protected speech. Sedition is a crime, and Jones is lucky he's not in jail.

No he is not lucky, he is an American and Patriot. Don't like what he is saying, turn the dial

-Geaux

Do you support this?

18 U.S. Code § 2384 - Seditious conspiracy

If you do then Jones is a person who is not a patriot.

The Constitution of the United States provides patriots, who feel wronged by laws passed by Congress and signed by the President, the ability to peacefully remove those persons, and replace them every even year. What is required is Freedom of Speech and the energy to and ability to vote.

The First Amendment does not protect seditious speech, and this is what Jones exemplifies.

Then you should add Maxine Waters and Madonna to your list.

Maxine said " I will go and take him out tonight"

Madonna said she "often thinks of blowing up the Whitehouse"

Antifa members were on camera saying they would murder and beat the President of the United States

All for one and one for all

-Geaux

I do not approve of those comments either.

 

[Dont Taz Me Bro]

Because nothing says "Land of the Free" like having to pay the government for permission to exercise your First Amendment rights.

I guess you could make the same arguement about border enforcement, right?

How so?

 

[CarlinAnnArbor]

A reminder that Trump’s FCC did this, led by that bought and paid for Chairman.

Pirate radio is illegal for good reason. I have no problem with this, and the web is better anyway, as long as they don't interfer with that.

 

[CarlinAnnArbor]

Yelling fire in a crowded theater is not protected speech. Sedition is a crime, and Jones is lucky he's not in jail.

That's not why it was put out of business

 

[Dont Taz Me Bro]

Because nothing says "Land of the Free" like having to pay the government for permission to exercise your First Amendment rights.

Yelling fire in a crowded theater is not protected speech. Sedition is a crime, and Jones is lucky he's not in jail.

No he is not lucky, he is an American and Patriot. Don't like what he is saying, turn the dial

-Geaux

Alex Jones is bat shit crazy, but that doens't mean he should be censored.

 

[fncceo]

Why the frig would anyone have a 'pirate' radio station these days? There's this new thing all the kids are using, I think it's called the 'Inter-web'?

 

[Pogo]

Why the frig would anyone have a 'pirate' radio station these days?

One simple word: "cars".

There's this new thing all the kids are using, I think it's called the 'Inter-web'?

I got nothin' here, I just left this part in so I could gawk at that antenna.

 

[Pogo]

Because nothing says "Land of the Free" like having to pay the government for permission to exercise your First Amendment rights.

Yelling fire in a crowded theater is not protected speech. Sedition is a crime, and Jones is lucky he's not in jail.

No he is not lucky, he is an American and Patriot. Don't like what he is saying, turn the dial

-Geaux

Alex Jones is bat shit crazy, but that doens't mean he should be censored.

Again, "censorship" is not involved here, because "content" is not involved. The FCC simply busted a pirate radio station, which they do regularly, and has nothing to do with whatever content that station airs. The word "also" in the original story ("The FCC is charging that the station was also illegally broadcasting on an FM wavelength") is superfluous; there is no "also" -- it's the whole point.

You'll also notice that the headline of the TheHill article has been changed to "CORRECTION...", changing the original characterization as Jones' "flagship station" which came from its earlier source. It's simply a pirate that broadcasts his rants and presumably other stuff, and FCC busted it for being on the air illegally, not for anything it put on the air while it was doing so.

 

[C_Clayton_Jones]

Because nothing says "Land of the Free" like having to pay the government for permission to exercise your First Amendment rights.

Are you a Jones listener?

Do I have to be to stand up for his rights as I would any other American?

Maybe that’s the difference between me and you

His "rights"?

The station in this story is a pirate. That means illegal. Nobody has the "right" to disregard the Law.

When FCC shuts down a pirate it doesn't matter what the content is or isn't. What matters is the license they don't have. Period.

Correct.

The regulation is content neutral, administrative only, in no way ‘violating’ free speech.

 

[C_Clayton_Jones]

Because nothing says "Land of the Free" like having to pay the government for permission to exercise your First Amendment rights.

Yelling fire in a crowded theater is not protected speech. Sedition is a crime, and Jones is lucky he's not in jail.

No he is not lucky, he is an American and Patriot. Don't like what he is saying, turn the dial

-Geaux

Alex Jones is bat shit crazy, but that doens't mean he should be censored.

He’s not being ‘censored.’

 

[Pogo]

Always more to the story --- update from Yahoo News:

>> The Department of Justice filed suit against Walter and Rae Olenick, accusing them of operating an unlicensed radio station out of their Austin apartment complex since at least 2013.

The Olenicks responded that the agency lacked jurisdiction and to “kindly never bother us with your harassment … again.”

The FCC imposed a $15,000 fine on the Olenicks in 2014 for their willful and repeated violations, which they refused to pay. <<​

--- this has been going on at least four years, with multiple NOUOs (Notice of Unauthorized Operation) sent to the offending station. An NOUO is generally the one-time notice FCC gives to shut down and avoid prosecution, which if it comes to that involves five-figure fines. Apparently this fine was levied four years ago and they're in arrears. FCC can and will raid the premises and confiscate equipment, which is what they presumably did recently.

Continuing the same article:

>> The pirate station, whose programming lineup includes The Alex Jones Show, has been described as the commentator’s flagship outlet. That characterization that raised the ire of one of the station’s hosts, Danny Seesom, who said TXLR merely rebroadcasts Jones’ show. Calling it anything else amounted to “fake news.”

Jones’ Free Speech Systems wrote Deadline to say it has no involvement in the ownership, operation or conduct by the radio station, and it is not his “flagship” station.

However, the 90.1 FM frequency has long been associated with Jones, notes NPR. When the FCC first penalized its operators in 2014, the Austin Chronicle noted Liberty Radio had earned the nickname ‘Alex Jones Radio’ for airing New World Order warnings for more than a decade. <<​

That's interesting since the 90.1 channel in Austin is already licensed to K111FZ, a translator station for a parent religious station in Idaho. In other words "Liberty Radio" is stepping on somebody else's signal. And that's a BIG BIG No-no. Not only that but Austin also has a station licensed to 89.9, the Lower Adjacent channel, and that's way too close to allow broadcasting without an accompanying big neon sign proclaiming HEY LOOKA HERE WE'RE PIRATES.

The first thing any pirate anywhere establishes if they're doing due diligence is to find a spot on the dial that won't conflict with an existing signal. That means finding at least three quiet channels in a row. Not just because it attracts immediate attention from FCC but because that established professional station is going to squash your signal like a bug.

And that's just stupid.

And here's the tower "Liberty Radio" was transmitting from:

Real inconspicuous innit? That's a lightning rod right there among other things.​

 

[Slade3200]

Because nothing says "Land of the Free" like having to pay the government for permission to exercise your First Amendment rights.

I guess you could make the same arguement about border enforcement, right?

How so?

It was just a poor example of the government getting in the way of “the land of the free” which was your point. Nevermind

 

[Lewdog]

When you tell people to take up arms and kill journalists, you are crossing the line of free speech. It's not very complicated.

 

[Synthaholic]

Because nothing says "Land of the Free" like having to pay the government for permission to exercise your First Amendment rights.

Are you a Jones listener?

Do I have to be to stand up for his rights as I would any other American?

Maybe that’s the difference between me and you

Which right is being violated? Is he being physically gagged?

 

[Synthaholic]

Because nothing says "Land of the Free" like having to pay the government for permission to exercise your First Amendment rights.

Yelling fire in a crowded theater is not protected speech. Sedition is a crime, and Jones is lucky he's not in jail.

No he is not lucky, he is an American and Patriot. Don't like what he is saying, turn the dial

-Geaux

He is saying it over the public-owned airways.

I'm old enough to remember when Republicans argued in favor of community standards when they wanted to put stickers on album covers.