The Liberty Lamp: Libertarian News & Editorials

This afternoon, I attended an interesting economics lecture about the FCC, though I did not think it would be so at first. The topic of this discussion was specifically how the FCC began to "auction off" licenses to radio bandwidths via this insane and dysfunctional (for the most part) method that basically just kept certain economists employed, as far as I can tell.

According to the speaker, though, it is relitavely simple to set up a system where everyone can utilize bandwidth, thus making it possible for everyone to be a DJ. From a market perspective, this would be more free market-esque, because though everyone would have an opertunity to compete, only the best content-providers would rise to the top- at least in theory.

According to the Federal Communications Commission's own rhetoric, its reason for living is to regulate the airwaves in order to assure that conflictions do not occur as a result of interference/crosstalk or governmental/corporate monopoly. If this is really the truth, I see absolutely no reason why the FCC shouldn't jump at the chance to provide a new avenue of communication that not only makes their job easier, but that is more accessible to everyone.

Knowing that the reality today is otherwise, one can therefore come to no other conclusion that the FCC doesn't exist to unify and standardize communications, but rather to command an ultimate, total monopoly on all communications, and decide exclusively who gets to talk and who doesn't!

Just something to think about the next time you tune in to your favorite Clear Channel station...