"The commission explained then that it is required by the First Amendment'to observe a stance of neutrality toward religion, acting neither topromote nor to inhibit religion.' It also explained that it must treatreligious and secular organizations alike in determining their eligibilityfor broadcasting channels.
Early in 1975, the FCC began to receive mail which indicated that in manyparts of the country there were rumors claiming the petitioners of RM-2493had called for an end to religious broadcasting and that the Commission wasgoing to prohibit religious programs on radio and television. Such rumorsare false. Additional mail and telephone calls came in from people whothought that Mrs. Madalyn Murray O'Hair, a well known atheist, was a sponsorof RM-2493, or had separately proposed that the FCC consider limiting orbanning religious programming, and that she had been granted a federalhearing to discuss this matter. Those rumors are also false.
No federal law or regulation gives the FCC the authority to prohibit radioand televeision stations from presenting religious programs. TheCommunications Act (the law that established the FCC and defines itsauthority) prohibits the Commission from censoring broadcast material andfrom interfering with freedom of speech in broadcasting. The Commissioncannot direct any broadcaster to present, or refrain from presenting, announcements or programs on religion, and it cannot act as a judge of thewisdom or accuracy of such material. Broadcaster--not the FCC or any othergovernmental agency--are responsible for selecting the programming that is aired by their stations.
We hope the preceding paragraphs will help to correct any and all
misinformation about Commision policies on religious broadcasting. Over the past seven years (this was written March 8, 1984), this agency has received more that 14 million pieces of mail on this subject; in 1983, an average of over 130,000 pieces of mail still arrived each month. Every effort has been made to advise the public of the action taken on RM-2493. The laws and the newspapers and magazines (including TV Guide and Time), in religious publications, and in meetings of religious groups. Because these false rumors still persist, any assistance you can provide by telling your friends and neighbors what the facts are will be greatly appreciated."
