The Pittsburgh Press (October 31, 1944)
FCC denies plea to censor talks
Washington (UP) –
The Federal Communications Commission today denied a petition of Milwaukee attorney William B. Rubin that radio stations be required to obtain scripts of political broadcasts at least 48 hours in advance of delivery so that objectionable comments might be deleted.
Mr. Rubin’s petition had also demanded that the FCC require the four major networks and certain affiliated stations to retract alleged “unjustified charges” made against President Roosevelt by Republican candidates.
The FCC denied the entire petition without elaboration, but officials had previously pointed out that the FCC is not a censorship agency and that the Federal Communications Act specifically prohibits censorship of political broadcasts by either the FCC or radio stations.