Constitutional Radio Stations: WBAI of FCC v. Pacifica Fame

August 21st, 2013

Remember FCC v. Pacifica? That was case where the Supreme Court considered the FCC’s citation of a radio station that broadcasted George Carlin’s famous seven “filthy words” bit. The radio station that broadcasted it, WBAI of New York, is teetering on the verge of dissolution.

WBAI, at 99.5 FM, was one of the leaders of the free-form radio movement in the 1960s, with early appearances by Bob Dylan and the on-air premiere of Arlo Guthrie’s song “Alice’s Restaurant.” In the 1970s the station became a free-speech martyr when the Supreme Court upheld a Federal Communications Commission indecency citation for running George Carlin’s seven “filthy words.”

Fuck it.