Readers are voicing their opinion to Radio World about the debate over use of the name Washington Redskins. As we reported, the FCC chairman confirmed that the agency is reviewing a petition to deny license renewal to Redskins owner Dan Snyder for a station he owns, based on a claim that the NFL team name is hate speech. Agency Chairman Tom Wheeler said the commission would examine “the issue on its merits.”
Former FCC Chairman Mark Fowler posted this comment to the Radio World website: “According to Federal Election Commission records, the Redskins’ owner, Dan Snyder, donates most to the Republicans, and little to the Democrats. That may be the real reason behind this; if and when Dan reverses this, the heat and outrage will magically diminish. The First Amendment says the government can enact ‘no law’ which abridges freedom of speech or the press. ‘No’ means ‘no.’” Fowler was chairman in the 1980s and was appointed by Ronald Reagan.
Fred Morton writes: “This is insane. The FCC has absolutely no business telling a business owner what he can or can’t call his team. If the public (his customers) have an issue with the name, then that’s something else entirely. The public can complain and force him to change if it’s deemed necessary. But just because some law professor with seemingly too much time on his hands wants to make a fuss, the commission feels they have to get involved? Unbelievable. They have enough problems as it is and enough real work to do-why waste their time and our [taxpayer ’s] money on this subject? … But hey, that’s just my opinion.”
And this from Mike Vanhooser: “Methinks Lord Wheeler, before removing the speck from our eyes, should remove the Superdome from his own. Perhaps then he will be able to read the Constitution and First Amendment.”
