FCC Reports, Volume 8, March 1, 1940 to August 1, 1941 Page: 340

                                
Federal Communications Commission Reports

of a broadcast station must rest initially with the broadcaster. It is
equally clear that with the limitations in frequencies inherent in the
nature of radio, the public interest can never be served by a dedication
of any broadcast facility to the support of his own partisan ends.
Radio can serve as an instrument of democracy only when devoted to
the communication of information and the exchange of ideas fairly and
objectively presented. A truly free radio cannot be used to advocate
the causes of the licensee. It cannot be used to support the candidacies
of his friends. It cannot be devoted to the support of principles he
happens to regard most favorably. In brief, the broadcaster cannot
be an advocate.
Freedom of speech on the radio must be broad enough to provide
full and equal opportunity for the presentation to the public of all
sides of public issues. Indeed, as one licensed to operate in a public
domain the licensee has assumed the obligation of presenting all sides
of important public questions, fairly, objectively and without bias.
The public interest-not the private-is paramount. These require-
ments are inherent in the conception of public interest set up by
the Communications Act as the criterion of regulation. And while
the day to day decisions applying these requirements are the licensee's
responsibility, the ultimate duty to review generally the course of
conduct of the station over a period of time and to take appropriate
action thereon is vested in the Commission.
Upon such a review here, there can be no question that The Yankee
Network, Inc., in 1937 and 1938 continued to operate in contravention
of these principles. The record does show, however, that, in response
to a request of the Commission for details as to the conduct of the
station since September 1938, two affidavits were filed with the Com-
mission by John Shepard 3d, president of The Yankee Network, Inc.
Apparently conceding the departures from the requirements of public
interest by the earlier conduct of the station, these affidavits state,
and they are uncontradicted, that no editorials have been broadcast
over Station WAAB since September 1938 and that it is not intended
to depart from this uninterrupted policy. The station has no edi-
torial policies. In the affidavits there is further a description of the
station's procedure for handling news items and the statement is
made that since September 1938 "no attempt has ever been or will
ever be made to color or editorialize the news received" through
usual sources. In response to a question from the bench inquiring
whether the Commission should rely on these affidavits in determining
whether to renew the licenses, counsel for The Yankee Network, Inc.,
stated at the second argument, "There are absolutely no reservations
whatsoever, or mental reservations of any sort, character, or kind with
reference to those affidavits. They mean exactly what they say in
8 F. C. 0.

340