This is message from Prof. Mike Townsend, of University of Illinois-Springfield, who is a strong advocate of Mbanna Kantako’s Human Rights Radio in Springfield, IL, as well as an advocate of free radio altogether. It was originally posted to the pirate/free radio message board at about.com:
Driven like an obsessive/compulsive handwasher desperately searching for the nearest washbasin or kitchen sink, FCC agent Will “Snoopy” Grey just can’t resist staying away from Human Rights Radio.
Unsuccessful in his 14 year quest to shut down Mbanna Kantako’s founding station of the microradio movement, “Snoopy” has now turned his attention to one of Kantako’s proteges, Lavelle Johnson,who went on-the-air with HRR-Decatur last year.
“Snoopy” secretely triangulated and recorded Lavelle’s broadcasts before paying a visit to the station on Aug. 27. Unfortunately for Grey, Lavelle had been well prepared for the visit by his mentor,Kantako.
The FCC usually plays the role of “intimidator”, but that was not the case on this official visit. Lavelle never gave Grey a chance as he immediately and firmly refused to allow the agent to enter his home, all the while recording what turned out to be a one-sided encounter on his trusty hand-held tape recorder – a favorite Kantako tactic. He then proceeded to question the legality and morality of the FCC’s actions and to question Grey’s own role in enforcing such repressive measures, even suggesting that Grey “come on over to the right side.”
Grey’s response was weak and defensive and within a couple of minutes he hightailed it out of there, quoting some FCC regulation code #. Lavelle told him to” have a nice day” and that he looked forward to their next visit. And the beat goes on…….
Mike Townsend
For more on last year’s FCC raids on Mbanna Kantako’s Human Rights Radio, see these previous reports: the first FCC raid on Sept. 29, audio links and links to mainstream press coverage of the Sept. raid, a report of the December shut-down of HRR. The audio page also has a short piece on the Sept. raid that I produced for the Urbana-Champaign IMC’s Newshour.
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