College Radio and Censorship Print E-mail


The FCC has been very rigid in trying to clean up the airwaves but college and university administrations also have a responsibility to keep their stations in line. And there have been some questions about what constitutes censorship in several cases. Its understandable that universities feel they have to maintain certain standards be they state or private schools, and some of their decisions end up being tested in court.

Freedom of speech has always been an important part of college radio, but who does decide when someone goes to far. This was the case at Occidental College in Los Angeles. There was a DJ who had a long running, shock jock type of show and he used profanity, parody and bawdy humor to offend just about everyone. He finally hit a sore sport with a campus group, and they went after him for sexual harassment, and the university fired him. When the DJ protested and everything got legal, it turned out the university really didnt have a case, but they persisted and upheld their decision. Before it was all over, the student DJ was convicted of campus infractions like harassment and even tire slashing, the university fired the entire student government and not only disbanded the organization but absorbed the nearly half million dollars of student activity fees too. It was a long and bitter fight and the university ultimately won. The student DJ wasnt expelled and was allowed to graduate but the campus charges still are being held against him. The whole situation was one of the right toe free speech, and while there was protection of the DJ to do this, it was ultimately the university who held the power to decide. And they did.


 
Discuss this item on the forums. (0 posts)