To the Editor:
Federal Communications Commission Chairman William E. Kennard included in his recent, defensive letter to RCR (Aug. 24) the statement: “The commission’s overarching mandate is to act on behalf of the public interest, not on behalf of any special interest,” and other absurd defenses. My God, what are they smoking up there?
When I entered this field in 1953, certain commercial enterprises received FCC licenses, I believe, at no charge, providing they justified their need and suggested an acceptable frequency to operate on. In 1973, we had an FCC regional office in Chicago assisting in frequency coordination and licensing at no charge.
Yes, Mr. Kennard, you and your past and present throng certainly have been acting in the public interest.
Today, and since 1986, we are forced to pay lobbyist special-interest organizations what I think are exorbitant fees under color of “frequency coordination” prior to even applying for a private land mobile radio services license. Chief executives of some of these “quasi-public servants,” who appear to be acting for the FCC, now have reported salaries of some $395,000 per year plus perks. (Wow! There’s happy citizens.)
Yes, Mr. Kennard, forcing a citizen to pay a lobbyist before you can participate in a federally protected activity certainly is in the very best interests of the public.
I don’t know what public you are living in. A quick analysis of these lobbyists’ fees suggests individual COD charges for their serving the public appear to begin at more than twice the FCC charge for the license.
Add this to the simplicity of your recently new 18-page FCC Form 600 licensing, which creates the necessity of paying beltline licensing assistance companies another fee, say $95 for preparing and submitting the routine application.
Now let us see. FCC license fee: $70. Add bargain frequency coordination $130 (should be free with new free FCC excellent online public database) and licensing assistance $95, and I come up with modest FCC-initiated costs of $295 for what used to be free or around $35 with a one-page application.
Based on my observations, the average licensee citizen does not realize only $70 went to [the] U.S. Treasury. (How about them getting their money back?)
This clearly shows what a good job you and the FCC have done protecting the public.
Monopolies or monopolies operating under color of oligopoly, and spectrum auctions to the rich are good for the public. True free enterprise by us in the private sector who are the driving force that creates for you the lifestyle you enjoy are bad.
Naw, it isn’t true, is it? That lobbyists are now taking over your enforcement duties? Who we gonna get? John Wayne and Wyatt Earp?
Keep up the good work.
My God! What am I smoking?
Merrill T. See
Former publisher of “The Rattler”
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