FCC Questions Ham Radio "Liberty Net"

FCC Ignores Censorship Law:  47 USC, Sec. 326

"Nothing in this chapter shall be understood or construed to give the Commission the power of censorship over the radio communications or signals transmitted by any radio station, and no regulation or condition shall be promulgated or fixed by the Commission which shall interfere with the right of free speech by means of radio communication."

There is a segment of the population that is very concerned with the declining state of affairs in America.  They come from all walks of life, from all races, and all faiths.  The concerns of this segment of the population are mocked as "conspiracy theories," in the scornful remarks of a second segment of the population.  The latter group has allowed itself to be deceived by their main source of information: the highly controlled corporate media.  The majority of amateur radio enthusiasts, or "ham operators," fit into the deceived category, but there is a segment of the ham radio community that recognizes the serious, declining social and monetary structure in America.  The "Liberty Net" meets on 3950 KHz Saturday evenings at 10 PM to discuss the problems facing Americans today.  Their discussions are often jammed by the illegal signals of other operators.  Do you think the Federal Communications Commission would investigate the jamming of the Liberty Net?    No!  In another brazen move to silence peaceful dissent, the FCC is making the outrageous claim that the Liberty Net is doing the jamming, and the Net has no reason to be using ham radio frequencies in the first place!  The following article is from the May 28, 1999, Amateur Radio Relay League Newsletter.

From Volume 18, Number 22

http://www.arrl.org/arrlletter/99/0528/#hollingsworth

The FCC has asked a net control station of the Liberty Net on 3950 kHz to justify the net's use of Amateur Radio frequencies. Via Certified Mail May 7 to Extra class licensee Victor A. Misek, W1WCR, FCC Legal Adviser Riley Hollingsworth said monitoring on May 1 indicated that Misek's station and members of the group for which he was acting as net control "began transmitting on top of existing Amateur communications that were already in progress." Hollingsworth said that such operation "is considered deliberate interference and cannot be tolerated on the Amateur frequencies."

Hollingsworth also pointed out that Congress has authorized the FCC to seek information to enable it to determine the qualifications of a licensee or applicant. "We are so far unable to determine how the transmissions of this group meet the standards of, or contribute to the purposes of, the allocation of frequencies for the Amateur Radio Service," Hollingsworth wrote.

Hollingsworth alluded to The Liberty Net in comments during an FCC forum at the Dayton Hamvention, openly questioning the behavior of net participants. "I don't get the connection yet" between what Liberty Net participants do on the air and the basis and purpose of Amateur Radio, he said.

In his letter to Misek, Hollingsworth suggested The Liberty Net explore operation on the Internet or seek a low-power FM broadcast grant if that service is authorized. Hollingsworth reminded Misek that Part 97 "prohibits communications on the Amateur frequencies that, on a regular basis, 'could reasonably be furnished alternatively through other services.'" He also pointed out that Part 97 prohibits broadcasting. Hollingsworth invited Misek to contact him to discuss the matter.