Law Commons^™

Defamation And Radio, Donald G. Graham

Washington Law Review

Radio has opened up a new and larger opportunity for defamation than has ever existed before. There are licensed today in the United States 683 broadcasting stations scattered throughout the country. Newspapers are fairly closely owned and do not open their columns generally to the public. Radio stations, on the other hand, broadcast the message not only of those who lease their facilities, but they also carry the messages of men of public affairs and public officials, for which unsponsored broadcasting they receive no commercial return. Speeches of a timely and informative nature delivered before an audience are frequently broadcast …