The Precedent that Almost Was: A 1926 Court Effort to Regulate Radio

Abstract

In the absence of a legislative solution, the Chicago Tribune in 1926 brought suit in state court to protect its station WGN from a newer station that was using a nearby, interferring frequency. The court did hold that WGN did have “priority of time” in that it was founded first and had built up its programs and audience on a fixed frequency. The 1927 Radio Act eliminated the need for courts to make these decisions.