BUSH BROKE FCC LAWS, REPORT HIM!!!
by Larry S. Rolirad
This is a call to all citizens to report President GW Bush and Armstrong Williams for violating FCC laws. Send your complaint to the following FCC email address. A sample letter is attached for you to send to the FCC.
SEND an EMAIL COMPLAINT TO:
FCCINFO@FCC.GOV
RE: REPORT of VIOLATION of FCC LAWS
http://www.fcc.gov/cgb/complaints.htmlContact FCC by phone: 888-225-5322
Contact FCC by fax: 866-418-0232
Dear FCC Representative:
I am formally reporting violations of Communications Act, Sections 317, 507 and 508 by President George W. Bush and Armstrong Williams. Please read the following letter for detailed reasons for charging President Bush and Armstrong Williams for their willful violations of FCC laws. I would appreciate a response and updates to my formal reporting of these wanton violations of the law.
YOUR NAME
YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS
YOUR HOME ADDRESS
YOUR TELEPHONE NUMBER
President GW BUSH VIOLATED FCC LAWS
by Larry S. Rolirad
President Bush and others in his administration have violated FCC laws when they gave a million dollars to right-wing groups and individuals to promote the "No Child Left Behind" law. The same FCC laws which originated in the 1950s to combat the illegal practice called "payola" should be applied to President Bush and everyone in his administration who participated in the crime. "Payola" was a common practice in the fifties and sixties when music corporations paid disc jockeys large amounts of money to give airtime to songs they wanted to promote. This practice was deemed by Congress to be illegal and they passed laws prohibiting "payola" through stronger FCC laws. Since President Bush spent $240,000 of our hard earned taxpayer's money to pay to have a radio jockey, Armstrong Williams, to promote Bush's law then Bush should be indicted under the same laws in which music corporations and deejays were indicted fifty years ago. It's called "payola" and it's practice is illegal.
You won't see any republicans clamoring for Bush's head. They are too busy lapping up every moursel of right-wing propaganda like ignorant vultures eating up hot, decaying roadkill. Can anyone imagine what these right-wingers would have done if President Clinton had given a 'liberal' microphone jock a whopping quarter of a million dollars to push one of his ideas? Republicans would have been scurrying all over the airwaves like demented cockroaches denouncing President Clinton. But since it is Bush, a fellow republican, they are mute on the subject. The only word that best describes the entire lot of gullible and unthinking republicans is "HYPOCRITES".
As an independent who embraces the law of the land, I am sickened by the total lack of ethics and honesty in the entire republican party. Republicans went ballistic when President Clinton received a paltry $200 haircut. But they say nothing when Bush gives $240,000 to a right-wing radio jock Armstrong Williams to push a GOP law.
Does anyone remember the great payola scandal that rocked the radio world fifty years ago? Disc jockeys were paid to play specific songs to make them popular, just like Armstrong Williams was paid $240,000 to parrot what Bush wants him to promote. "Payola" is nothing more than bribery, and it is illegal. Music corporations hired promoters to pay deejays to play songs of artists they were touting. There is no difference between what Bush did and the illegal acts of those music corporations. Both used money to popularize a song, an idea, or a law.
The legendary Alan Freed, the man who popularized the term "rock 'n' roll", saw his career end after he admitted to accepting payola from music corporations to play specific songs. Because of his illegal acts, Alan Freed was arrested and pled guilty to accepting payments. He was blacklisted from broadcasting and died broke and bitter in 1965. President Bush and Armstrong Williams should be forced to experience similar fates.
"Disc jockeys across America took thousands of dollars in payola in exchange for airtime. Airplay decisions were based not on whether a record was any good but on the large amounts of cash that came with it. Even if you accept the idea that it's OK for radio stations to sell spots on their playlists, keeping the public in the dark about the practice was deceptive. In 1960, as a result of congressional hearings, Congress amended the Federal Communications Act, specifically sections 317 and 507, to outlaw under-the-table payments and require broadcasters to disclose if airplay for a song has been purchased. The FCC takes this seriously; in 2000, it fined a Texas radio station $4,000 for accepting money for playing a Bryan Adams song without telling anyone (although you can understand why Bryan Adams's promoters would be driven to payola)."
It is doubtful that Armstrong Williams will "disclose" that he received money from the Bush Regime every time he mentions the "No Child Left Behind" law that Bush wants him to tout. Armstrong Williams said that he wanted to do it (promote the law) because "it's something I believe in". If Williams actually "believed in the law" then why did it take $240,000 for him to promote it? Williams admitted that "he does not recall disclosing the ($240,000) contract to audiences on the air". His admission to not disclose that he was financially rewarded for promoting Bush's law is reason enough to indict Armstrong Williams for violating FCC laws. Failure to disclose that he was paid to promote the "No Child Left Behind" law is a direct violation of the Federal Communications Act. What is worse is the $240,000 paid to Williams is only part of a one million dollar bonanza spread to several other conservative republicans to promote the "No Child Left Behind" law. Another "payola" recipient is the republican-ran Ketchum public relations firm.
Armstrong Williams by his own admission failed to disclose that he was paid by the Bush administration to promote the "No Child Left Behind" law. His failure is a direct violation of both of the following FCC laws:
"Section 317 of the Communications Act, as amended, 47 U.S.C. § 317 requires broadcasters to disclose that matter has been broadcast in exchange for money, service or other valuable consideration. The announcement must be made when the subject matter is broadcast. The Commission has adopted a rule, 47 C.F.R. § 73.1212, which sets forth the broadcasters' responsibilities for sponsorship identification."
"Section 507 of the Communications Act, as amended, 47 U.S.C. § 508 requires that when anyone pays someone to include program matter in a broadcast, the fact of payment must be disclosed in advance of the broadcast to the station over which the mater is to be carried. Both the person making the payment and the recipient are obligated to disclose the payment so that the station may make the sponsorship identification announcement required by Section 317 of the Act. Failure to disclose such payments is commonly referred to as "payola'' and is punishable by a fine of not more than $10,000 or imprisonment for not more than one year or both. These criminal penalties bring violations within the purview of the Department of Justice."
According the Sections 317, 507, and 508 of the Communications Act, both President Bush and Armstrong Williams are subject to a fine of not more than $10,000 and up to a year in prison, or both. Since it is blatantly obvious that President Bush and Armstrong Williams willfully violated all three Sections of the Communications Act they should be subject to the full year in prison, and nothing less.
What is the difference between the illegal payola of the fifties and sixties and the funneling of taxpayer's money to a right-wing radio jock Armstrong Williams to have him be an instrument of GOP propaganda? There is no difference. Bush should be indicted under the FCC's Federal Communications Act, sections 317, 507, and 508, and then tried and convicted. It is clear that Bush and the GOP violated Federal Communications Act laws to promote their law. Bush's illegal act should be grounds for impeachment and removal from office. But in order to file charges against Bush for his illegal act the chairman of the FCC, Michael Powell, a Bush appointee, would have to initiate charges. That isn't likely since Michael Powell is just another GOP yes-man like his father, Secretary of State Colin Powell. And even if Bush was formally charged for the crime he would certainly not be impeached since the House of Representatives is dominated by the republican party. And even if they were somehow forced to impeach President Bush the republican-dominated Senate would certainly spare Bush of any responsibility or accountability for his crime.
Isn't there even one republican who is capable of denouncing a fellow republican? Isn't there one republican capable of denouncing Bush for his unethical and illegal practice? Isn't there one republican who sees through the wanton purchase of right-wing propaganda in the entire republican party? Apparently not. There is no difference between the "arrangement" between Bush and Armstrong, and music corporations and their paid deejays. But as always, republicans refuse to hold their own accountable and responsible. Instead of thinking as Americans who speak out and act in the best interest of their country, and for all Americans, these republican party lackeys choose to put their corrupt political party above that of their country, our government, and even the law. While Clinton was president you couldn't find one republican not frothing at the mouth over Clinton's lie under oath over a private and consensual act between two adults, a "white" lie that hurt no one. Republicans whined and whined about the "rule of the law". They went on ad nauseam about no one being above the law. They acted like rabid dogs while President Clinton was impeached by the House of Representatives. No one should be above the law, but when republicans are faced with another republican who is unethical or breaks a law they always resort to Reagan's Eleventh Commandment, which stated "Thou shalt not speak ill of a fellow Republican".
When will republicans stop being ignorant lapdogs to one of the most corrupt regimes in our country's history, the Bush Regime? By condoning the illegal acts of President Bush and the GOP, by giving "payola" to one of their own right-wingers, republicans can rightly be described as gutless, unethical hypocrites.
References:
http://www.straightdope.com/mailbag/mpayola.htmlhttp://www.fcc.gov/eb/broadcast/sponsid.html
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