Books & Legal Issues

[butlerguy03]

We are thinking of doing a kids-themed program with popular kids TV show and kid-friendly classic music. We would like to do a story time feature too, but we're sort of unsure about the legalities. Can we read, say a Dr. Suess book, on the air? What credits and how often would you credit the book? We're a non-profit high school owned station, so we can't say "go buy it, it's good."

This seems like a grey-area issue, but is it?

 

[KeyTimes950]

If you are a high school station, I'd presume your school district (I'm assuming you're a public school district operation, as usually would be the case in Pennsylvania) has a solicitor. As a rule, such an attorney gets paid by the district or corporation to look into these things, but sometimes may have to farm the need out to a special counsel more prone to know the law in these matters. Your first step should be talking to your solicitor.

Asking a discussion board is probably equivalent to seeking out "Handel on the Law," a favorite Sunday show for me when I'm not listening to "Echoes of Erin," but I digress. It is touted on the station carrying it here as "marginal advice, outstanding radio." Pay the attorney now or risk paying the penalties later. As a now-dearly departed station boss once told me, it's spending money to make money -- or, in your case, to avoid losing money.

Godspeed and good luck.