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
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Argentina wastodri
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iiniries that migliti
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pends on what dl
vlaevemann, managi
ers Grain Termini
Christi, said thecol
ibly will result in if
i U.S. grain priffl
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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