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An Illegal Move By WTKK - 96.9 FM And Imus

Asking a legitimate question is one thing. But you didn't do that. You accused someone of committing an illegal act, violating the law. Did you not create the subject line that states "An Illegal Move By WTKK - 96.9 FM And Imus"? That's not a question, it's a declarative statement of fact. Then you declared you knew of a law, statue, regulation that had been violated.
[EDIT]

[EDIT-inflammatory]
 
"Skynet74 doesn't have it right either. It's illegal in LA, where his old company was located, but it is not against FCC rules."

The LA rules are likely based on scalping laws, which cover tickets for all sorts of events, not just TV shows.
 
Casablanca said:
The question is: If radio and television programs have never charge admission to their over the air programs that are part of regular format [ not contracted coverage such as the Red Sox, Bruins, Celtics, BSO, Boston Pops, etc.] why not?
Click to expand...

The question is why you keep changing the question. Here is specifically how you started this thread:
Got an announcement from the Promotions Department of WTKK 96.9 FM that I could "buy" tickets to hear/see Don Imus' St. Patty's Day -Friday, March 16th appearance at John Hancock Hall. What happened to the Hotel on the Common?

Thought there was an F C C Regulation against "Selling" tickets to any broadcast performance - radio or television. Why? I don't know but it must go back to the 1930's.

Now, WTKK - 96.9 FM is "selling" admission tickets to Imus. Okay, it goes for a good cause, the Imus Ranch but that doesn't make it legal.
At best, all they can do legally is "ask" for a "donation" but don't think they can exclude an individual who chooses not to "donate".
Tickets, by the way are $9.69. Isn't that cute.

Wonder how big the check Greater Media is writing to the Imus Ranch? Not saying they won't but they should put their checkbook where their tickets are or don't charge anyone.

But it is still illegal to sell tickets to a radio/television program.
Click to expand...

Lets look for the questions -
1) What happened to Hotel at the Common?
2) Why is there a regulation against selling tickets to a broadcasted event?
3) How much is Greater Media paying Imus?

Your current question didn't make the post when you started the thread. If you want to get upset about those three questions not being answered, fine. But the purpose of this thread (based on the title) was to accuse WTTK of an illegal move - and that first post claimed first that there was an FCC regulation, then non-paying people could not be excluded and finally that the action was illegal. Three claims that despite the weasle speak on the first two ("thought there was" and "don't think") are false.

Now you claim that the question was why broadcasters have not charged for their events. Which also includes an assumption that you are speaking of all broadcasters. The real question is why you cannot admit that you were absolutely wrong in your premise that the FCC prohibited charging for tickets to broadcasted events.

Casablanca said:
I have been told that it was some FCC Reg that prevented them from cashing in on over the air broadcasts.
Click to expand...

How stupid. It is the PURPOSE of a commercial radio station to cash in on their over the air broadcasts. Commercial stations SELL several minutes per hour of their time to cash in on their OTA broadcasts.

Of course you probably meant that they can't cash in on live events that are also broadcasted, which is what you started talking about at the beginning of this wretched thread. As mentioned many times ... there is NO FCC RULE that prevents a station from charging for an event.
 
[EDIT]


If you are SOOOOOOOOOOOOO concerned with what they are doing and the fact it's ill-legal, call the FCC's Encofrcement Divison in Boston. I'm sure Victor or Vince would love to hear from you!

[EDIT-flaming and harassment]
 
Your edited vulgarity speaks volumes about you and the industry you say you represent. Now, I am more determined than ever to get an answer from the FCC.
Who knew this would be such a sensitive nerve.
Now, back to the Oscars...and the winner...' is not Paul C.Walker,Jr. :D

PaulBWalkerJr said:
[EDIT]


If you are SOOOOOOOOOOOOO concerned with what they are doing and the fact it's ill-legal, call the FCC's Encofrcement Divison in Boston. I'm sure Victor or Vince would love to hear from you!

[EDIT-flaming and harassment]
Click to expand...
 
Casablanca said:
Your edited vulgarity speaks volumes about you and the industry you say you represent. Now, I am more determined than ever to get an answer from the FCC.
Who knew this would be such a sensitive nerve.
Click to expand...

When people accuse others of doing illegal things, it tends to touch a nerve. Whether it's illegal or nor or whether they're guilty or not, people get upset when they're accused. Have you ever been accused of something, even something minor in grade school, you didn't do? I'm sure you have, and I'm sure you didn't like it. You shouldn't be surprised with the results. This is a small business that's getting smaller everyday. Whenever we hear of something bad happening to someone in the industry, it really hits home. This industry is somewhat of a family (albeit the most dysfunctional of dysfunctional families), and we cycle into many of the same people over and over during our careers in radio. So, even those of us with no connection to WTKK and those of us who have never worked at a station that sold tickets to anything tend to see your subject line as slapping one of our own in the face. Quite frankly, you could have posed your question a lot better. If you had simply asked if WTKK was doing something illegal, the venom would never have spewed.

As for getting an answer from the FCC, go for it! I think that's the position of most of the people on this board.
 
Maybe two better questions to ask here are:

WHY WOULD ANYONE WANT TO PAY TO "WATCH" IMUS DO A BROADCAST?

and

WHY WOULD ANYONE GIVE A GOOD GAWD DANG IF SOME FOOL IS HAPPY TO PAY TO WATCH IMUS DO A BROADCAST, MUCH LESS THE FCC REGULATE SUCH A THING?
 
The answer from the FCC is likely to be too cryptic for such a person to understand. Since the FCC does not have a specific rule they can point to to say "it's fine" all they can say is the same thing that many of us in the broadcast industry have been saying from the beginning of the thread:

There is no FCC rule preventing a station from charging admission to an event.

It is too simple of a statement for some to understand ... so perhaps we just have to accept that some will always live in some level of ignorance, ignore the troll and know that WTKK has no reason to worry about these false claims.
 
Dysfunctional? That hardly states the psychosis but it defines the insecurity and instability of this industry. The mere mention of the letters FCC sends them off into some primal scream.

Again, if TKK had stated this as a "donation" the question would have been moot but they chose to not do that and between those two words there is a world of difference.

And so, it has ended in a flamming match. That is not a surprise to this poster as well.
 
Apparently nothing that he wanted to share ... although he's still spreading his opinion of the answer and seeking support in the other forums here:
Always heard the networks [ public license and all] were not allowed to charge admission to the shows they produced and originate...
Click to expand...
http://www.radio-info.com/smf/index.php/topic,64726.msg457625.html#msg457625

"Always heard" except in this thread and the one in the FCC rules forum (linked previously). ::)
 
BlodwynPig said:
[EDIT] Can't believe your going to waste a Monday trying to talk to the FCC. Quit beating a deadhorse.

[EDIT-inflammatory]
Click to expand...

What I said was so far from inflammatory. There was zero name calling and no abusive language. You are very quick with the EDIT and WRONG.
 
Still waiting to hear back on an email.

And you wonder what the poor Veteran's have to contend with at Walter Reed and the like...Your government at work.... :eek:
 
It could be a while depending on how you asked the question.
Since we already have the FCC rules to look at, the response is only in how they phrase the "no problem".

BTW: The last time I questioned the FCC on a stations specific violation of the rules all I got back was a list of the rules that I already knew that they were breaking. A "here are the rules on that issue" response instead of enforcement of the rules. :(
 
justalurker said:
BTW: The last time I questioned the FCC on a stations specific violation of the rules all I got back was a list of the rules that I already knew that they were breaking. A "here are the rules on that issue" response instead of enforcement of the rules. :(
Click to expand...
That's typical. Remember, unlike the FCC of years ago, much of the staff consists of lawyers. So, any question will be answered with obtuse, murky, and conflicting information. Are they confused? No, but by answering in a broad and general way, they can not be pinned down on any point of law or regulation that could come back to haunt them later in court.

However, if you have a specific complaint, the FCC website has a way for anyone to lodge a complaint.
http://www.fcc.gov/cgb/complaints.html
It works very well. In another market, a colleague's station was inspected because a listener complained that his AM station was causing 2nd harmonic interference to another station the listener wanted to hear. Turned out to be a bad cap in the station's transmitter. One person complaining to the Commission got a station inspected. It does work.
 
Casablanca said:
Got an announcement from the Promotions Department of WTKK 96.9 FM that I could "buy" tickets to hear/see Don Imus' St. Patty's Day -Friday, March 16th appearance at John Hancock Hall.

Thought there was an F C C Regulation against "Selling" tickets to any broadcast performance - radio or television. Why? I don't know but it must go back to the 1930's.

But it is still illegal to sell tickets to a radio/television program.
Click to expand...

Where did you get this idea?

That must be right next to the rule you quoted awhile back that "political spots had to be paid in cash"?

Please cite chapter/verse...
 
Where did you get this idea?
Click to expand...

Mommy must have taken away his allowance, so he can't afford the $9.69 ticket price.

This event has several sponsors, so they are taking in money (to cover costs?) despite donating proceeds to Imus' charity.
 
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