First, I think all of us appreciate and respect your desire to do what is right. Thank you.
But that's not my point. Please follow my thinking here. You see someone has filed for another LPFM in Selma. Quickly, you're declaring he must be stopped. He's a "lawbreaker." He had a pirate radio station. Yes, you heard that radio station. But you admit that you've never met him. What little you know of him comes from the second hand word of a friend.
Funny thing is, when confronted with his wrong, the so-called lawbreaker did the right thing and turned the pirate station off. But then he had the audacity to file for an actual license. I know a few former pirates around here who did less. They knowingly remained on the air until the FCC came knocking, then told the judge "no contest" and paid a fine.
Years later, one of them applied for a class A FM and was given the grant. A few of us working across town had never met the person, but from only second hand knowledge were convinced that his past meant he'd again play loosely with the law, as he'd done with the pirate station. We were wrong. He followed the letter of the law. He delivered compelling radio, served his community well, and has become well respected in the industry.
It's easy to say I'll take care of it. It doesn't negate the simple truth that despite your best efforts, sometimes something falls through the cracks and doesn't get done. A form is not submitted, the wrong number is included on a form, a board of directors doesn't have the required number of members ... or ... non-compliant equipment is used at a startup, an hourly legal ID is missed for several days.
But again, ignorance is no excuse. Meaning that an all to easy to toss around word like "lawbreaker" can be applied to any of us. Bottom line is that it grieves me when over my 65 years I've seen just how little Grace seems to be shown by persons claiming the title of Christian broadcaster.
After all, haven't we all fallen short...
But that's not my point. Please follow my thinking here. You see someone has filed for another LPFM in Selma. Quickly, you're declaring he must be stopped. He's a "lawbreaker." He had a pirate radio station. Yes, you heard that radio station. But you admit that you've never met him. What little you know of him comes from the second hand word of a friend.
Funny thing is, when confronted with his wrong, the so-called lawbreaker did the right thing and turned the pirate station off. But then he had the audacity to file for an actual license. I know a few former pirates around here who did less. They knowingly remained on the air until the FCC came knocking, then told the judge "no contest" and paid a fine.
Years later, one of them applied for a class A FM and was given the grant. A few of us working across town had never met the person, but from only second hand knowledge were convinced that his past meant he'd again play loosely with the law, as he'd done with the pirate station. We were wrong. He followed the letter of the law. He delivered compelling radio, served his community well, and has become well respected in the industry.
It's easy to say I'll take care of it. It doesn't negate the simple truth that despite your best efforts, sometimes something falls through the cracks and doesn't get done. A form is not submitted, the wrong number is included on a form, a board of directors doesn't have the required number of members ... or ... non-compliant equipment is used at a startup, an hourly legal ID is missed for several days.
But again, ignorance is no excuse. Meaning that an all to easy to toss around word like "lawbreaker" can be applied to any of us. Bottom line is that it grieves me when over my 65 years I've seen just how little Grace seems to be shown by persons claiming the title of Christian broadcaster.
After all, haven't we all fallen short...
