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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (April 15, 1982)
Battalion/Page 15 April 15, 1982 Battalion/Pageli April 15,1 national ‘Nonexistent’ problem keeps frustrating FCC tall photo by David Fishe :jne as he learn ^ nesday afternoon. *r majoring in K United Press International WASHINGTON — Judg ing from the mail — more than 11 million pieces so far — the most controversial issue to ever hit the Federal Com munications Commission is one that never existed. B With administrative costs mounting, the FCC is begin ning yet another effort to per suade the public that it is not considering a ban on religious broadcasting. I The issue apparently is perpetuated by some person of group that sends petitions mostly to rural, evangelical churches for forwarding to the commission, said FCC officials and spokesmen for major church groups. B It all began in 1974 when two California men, Jeremy Lansman and Lorenzo Milam, filed a petition urging the FCC to restrict use by reli gious organizations of FM fre quencies reserved for educa tional use. ■ Lansman and Milam ques- . tinned whether the “Back to the Bible” programs of many : churches qualified for re served educational channels. | By the time the commission acted eight months later, it had received 750,()()() pieces of mail — the most ever on a single issue, and much of it from persons who appeared po believe the proposal would j ban all religious broadcasting. At the same time, the name of atheist Madalyn Murray O’Hair, who won the Sup reme Court decision prohibit ing prayer in public schools, erroneously became attached to the issue. The FCC rejected the peti tion on First Amendment grounds, but in the seven years since then, the outpour ing of mail has not Ceased. Most of it is form letters urging the commission to en sure that religious program ming continues. The letters claim O’Hair has been granted a hearing in Washington; that her petition “would stop the reading of the Gospel on the airwaves of America”; that she filed a peti tion with 27,000 signatures to back her stand; and that if she is successful, “all Sunday wor ship services being broadcast either on radio or TV” will stop. “It’s all totally, factually, a lie,” said FCC public affairs di rector William Russell. Russell said his office has contacted 50 evangelical groups in the past couple of .weeks as well as religious groups in Washington to ex plain the situation. Another FCC official is contacting each congressional office to offer background. In a previous communica tion effort in 1980, the FCC contacted the major religious denominations and asked them to inform their congre gations. That stemmed the flow somewhat, but came no where near stopping it. Russell said none of the forms contains a name or re turn address. “Since all the petitions have the same format, there must be one person involved with it,” he said. “We can’t find out who is making up the form and mailing it on.” The commission asked the U.S. Postal Service to look into the matter, but the agency re sponded that it has no juris diction unless there is a re quest for money involved. The National Religious Broadcasters Association, concerned the petitions may be counterproductive, also wants to lav the issue to rest, as do most jor religious de- nominati >. Dr. Ben Armstrong, the group’s executive director, said: “It seems to be someone trying to embarrass the FCC or religious broadcasting, and frankly I don’t know which it is. Here it is seven years later and it’s still being revived. “When you find the identic al thing and no source or no name, you feel there’s some body out there trying to do a number on somebody.” ‘Bed and breakfast’ offers new alternative to hotels United Press International EVANSTON, Ill. — The European tradition of “Bed and Breakfast” — staying in private homes instead of hotels, already established in some parts of the United States, now has spread to Chicago’s posh North Shore. Three suburban women, who have entered the business, said one thing overlooked about the practice is that it can be as good for the host or hostess as the guests. The bed and breakfast idea came to Jeannine James, 45, and her husband while they were visiting their daughter at the University of Virginia. “We were not able to get into an inn (because) they were filled for parents’ weekend,” James said. “So she arranged for us to stay at this Bed and Breakfast. And I thought it was just re markable.” Personal touches make the difference. Bed and Breakfast hosts can add such endearing gestures as putting out a bottle of wine, fresh flowers and candy for their guests, plugging in fresh coffee in the morning, provid ing reading material, offering the use of their library, and building a fire on a cold day. James, Janet Remen, 5i, and Tommy Solberg, 50, began their project last fall. They now have 25 hosts — 75 percent along the North Shore and 25 percent in Chicago. Their first guests from abroad are expected this spring from New Zealand. Hosts and hostesses generally are outgoing, adventurous and well-traveled. Some are multi lingual. They are of all ages — some live alone, some have chil dren. However, some are lonely and enjoy the company. Solberg said: “There are some that may live alone. They do have extra rooms and they find it’s a nice way to have com pany and still make a little money. The added income is sometimes a nice thing to have.” Money does not seem to be the key factor for North Shore hosts, however. Some are embarrassed to accept money, so Bed and Breakfast can donate the fee to their favorite charitv. COME GROW WITH US ALDERSGATE UNITED METHODIST CHURCH "The Church With A Heart-Warming Touch' TEMPORARILY MEETING AT A&M CONSOLIDATED MIDDLE SCHOOL AUDITORIUM JERSEY ST. AT HOLIK ST., COLLEGE STATION SUNDAY SERVICES: SUNDAY SCHOOL 9:45 A.M. MORNING WORSHIP 8:30 A.M., 11:00 A.M. EVENING WORSHIP 6:30 P.M. CHURCH OFFICE 2114 SOUTHWOOD 696-1376 PASTOR: TERRY TEYKL MSC Travel Committee presents 07roj 66 99 Parents' Weekend April 16-17 9:45 p.m. at The Grove (#701 Rudder if it rains) Tickets $ 1 25 available at Box Office or the door SIS irmers |ail blaze kills seven prisoners ;■ conllict between Era Argentina wastodri ome time, othercoJ In not want theirsra initial warione,”™ stal, Nueces Coni ral extension a| would not wanttmsa rid they might wanll the U.S. We (FeiaJ vsihly stand to pid® iiniries that migliti ittess with Argentil pends on what dl vlaevemann, managi ers Grain Termini Christi, said thecol ibly will result in if i U.S. grain priffl ic potential ol beiif for south Texaslif -oker Frank Vacttl rk said the Argenwl hum harvest begi»| , while the U.S.I»| t start until late to; gentina cor,sister: U.S. grain prices. : United Press International JERSEY CITY, N.J. — A fire on the eighth floor of the over crowded Hudson County jail kil led seven prisoners early Wednesday, authorities say. |t A police department spokes man said the blaze was confined to the eighth floor of the prison was controlled within an hour. j County spokesman Cas Rakowski identified the seven dead men as inmates of the jail. Their names were not immedi ately released. ■ More than 70 other prisoners imprisoned on the eighth floor were moved to makeshift quar ters in a third-floor gymnasium, Rakowski said. p The blaze was discovered by a corrections officer stationed on the eighth floor of the nine-floor jail, near the center of the city, he said. The prison, built in 1926 for 300 prisoners, held about 500 on eight floors at the time of the blaze, Rakowski said. The ninth floor is used for maintenance equipment storage. V Authorities said they were in vestigating the cause of the fire. B. L. Shane's Lakeview Club Thursday " Better Than Ever 1 . THIRSTY THURSDAY! Free Beer All Night! Cover $3.00 Live Music by "Stillwater' Friday Night Live Rock N Roll by OZ! Cover $3.00 Unescorted Ladies Free Saturday Night Cover $5.00 Coming April 24 — David Frizzell and Cindy hurt! 3 Miles north of Bryan on Tabor Rd. For Reservations 823-0660