Free Speach Dept: Agents close down radio station

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Date:Sun, 3 Oct 2004 22:58 EDT

Subject:Agents close down radio station

 

 

 

 

FASCISM IN CALIFORNIA

 

 

Free Radio Santa Cruz RAIDED by the FCC and US Marshals

 

http://santacruz.indymedia.org/

 

News from Alternative Media : Civil & Human Rights : Media Criticism

Free Radio Santa Cruz RAIDED by the FCC and US Marshals

29 Sep 2004

Modified: 03:25:59 PM

 

At 8:20 AM on Wednesday, September 29, armed US Marshals and FCC

Agents raided the house from which Free Radio Santa Cruz broadcasts.

Agents entered with guns drawn, showing the warrant to a couple of

residents but not serving the warrant to anyone at that time. All

residents, some wearing only their bathrobes and PJ's, were herded to

the sidewalk in front of their house.

 

Free Radio Santa Cruz was airing Democracy Now! at 37 watts as the FCC

Agents and US Marshals (we counted at least 16) worked to get into the

studio. By this time FRSC 101.1 FM was airing a pre-programmed

interview with Howard Zinn.

 

This interview, in which Zinn read poems by Langston Hughes and Bob

Dylan and cited Zora Neal Hurston's comments against WW2, was in

progress when the signal was taken off the air. Listeners of FRSC

heard the sound of static for the first time ever due to governmental

interference.

 

Agents videoed community members who lined the street and crowded onto

the sidewalk in front of the house in support of the station.

Residents were not allowed to bring cameras into their home, nor were

they allowed entrance without first having their bags searched.

 

Freak Radio has been raided after almost 10 years of broadcasting for

the Santa Cruz community and listeners around the world via online

streaming. FRSC has received strong support from members of the

community, including the Santa Cruz City Council.

 

Personal account from the open newswire Knoxville First Amendment

Radio (KFAR 90.9) Raided by the FCC.