Abstract
An unlicensed station in St. Louis, Missouri, that rebroadcast material from other, licensed, stations soon came to the attention of the Federal Radio Commission, and owner George W. Fellowes found himself forced to challenge the right of the state to control the air. Fellowes' court-appointed attorney argued the government should not restrict the right of citizens to use airwaves; a U.S. District Court found differently, based on the Radio Act of 1927. Fellowes was given the choice of a year in jail—a stiff sentence to set an example—or deportation. He choose deportation. The argument of free citizen access to airwaves surfaces from time to time, but never for long.
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