Heinl radio business letter (Jan-June 1944)

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2/22/44 "If you think Postmaster General Frank C. Walker is attack¬ ing freedom of the press in his project to throw Esquire out of the second class mails, you're still in the bush leagues of censorship. "Mr. Walker is a child in his dealings with censorship of printed matter as compared with Mr. Fly in strangling freedom of speech in radio. "In 1933 a terrific new law was cooked up, entitled the Federal Communications Commission Act of 1934. This act provided that no radio broadcaster could have a license to do business perma¬ nently, and the regulations adopted under the act provided that the broadcaster had to come in every six months and make formal applica¬ tion for renewal of license. "And on what basis would licenses be granted and extended? Why only if the FCC felt them justified 'in the public interest, necessity or convenience'. Sounds good. "The FCC Act of 1934 was, like much New Deal legislation, written in the tone of highest idealism. But like all other laws, it had to be administered by men. "The operations of the give an excellent demonstration of what happens when a law is so high, wide and handsome as to let men swing power around to freely. From 1934 down to date, radio has been progressively harnessed and subdued by Government, "The membership on the FCC has gone through several changes since 1934, and it is a fact that every change has brought to the Com¬ mission a man with a little tighter mind on the subject of government¬ al control and censorship, "Just preceding Fly, the Chairman was one Frank McNinch, a regulator of the old-fashioned . variety v.’ho got his training on the Federal Power Commission and approached the communications Industry as another private dragon to be slain so Government-operated angels could grow in its stead, "McNincn was a quick bust in action because he wasn’t very bright, and so the President reached down to the Tennessee Valley Authority for Mr. James Lawrence Fly, who is bright, indeed. Note again, the Chairman was chosen from the field of Government ownershio. "Fly's taste and training were in the direction of Federal strangulation of private enterprise, which is exactly the pattern of operation he has followed on the FCC. "The career of this gent is varied and interesting, full of ominous significance to any student of trends in government and deserves full, public exposure by Congress. " XXXXXXXX