§509 — Title 47 Telegraphs, Telephones, and Radiotelegraphs | U.S. Code

Summary

Makes it illegal to rig radio contests that test knowledge, skill, or chance when the goal is to trick the audience. No one may secretly help a contestant so the result is decided ahead of time, bribe or pressure a contestant to hold back their skill or knowledge, use a scheme to fix the outcome, produce or air a show knowing such fixing will happen, or agree with others to do any of these things if someone takes steps to carry it out. Violators can be fined up to $10,000, jailed up to one year, or both. "Contest" — a radio contest that offers money or other prizes announced on air. "Listening or viewing public" — people who listen to or watch radio broadcasts.

Title 47, §509

Telegraphs, Telephones, and Radiotelegraphs — Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)It shall be unlawful for any person, with intent to deceive the listening or viewing public—

(1)To supply to any contestant in a purportedly bona fide contest of intellectual knowledge or intellectual skill any special and secret assistance whereby the outcome of such contest will be in whole or in part prearranged or predetermined.

(2)By means of persuasion, bribery, intimidation, or otherwise, to induce or cause any contestant in a purportedly bona fide contest of intellectual knowledge or intellectual skill to refrain in any manner from using or displaying his knowledge or skill in such contest, whereby the outcome thereof will be in whole or in part prearranged or predetermined.

(3)To engage in any artifice or scheme for the purpose of prearranging or predetermining in whole or in part the outcome of a purportedly bona fide contest of intellectual knowledge, intellectual skill, or chance.

(4)To produce or participate in the production for broadcasting of, to broadcast or participate in the broadcasting of, to offer to a licensee for broadcasting, or to sponsor, any radio program, knowing or having reasonable ground for believing that, in connection with a purportedly bona fide contest of intellectual knowledge, intellectual skill, or chance constituting any part of such program, any person has done or is going to do any act or thing referred to in paragraph (1), (2), or (3) of this subsection.

(5)To conspire with any other person or persons to do any act or thing prohibited by paragraph (1), (2), (3), or (4) of this subsection, if one or more of such persons do any act to effect the object of such conspiracy.

(b)For the purposes of this section—

(1)The term “contest” means any contest broadcast by a radio station in connection with which any money or any other thing of value is offered as a prize or prizes to be paid or presented by the program sponsor or by any other person or persons, as announced in the course of the broadcast.

(2)The term “the listening or viewing public” means those members of the public who, with the aid of radio receiving sets, listen to or view programs broadcast by radio stations.

(c)Whoever violates subsection (a) shall be fined not more than $10,000 or imprisoned not more than one year, or both.

Editorial Notes

Prior Provisions

A prior section 508 of act June 19, 1934, ch. 652, was renumbered section 507 by section 1 of Pub. L. 96–507, and is classified to section 508 of this title.

§509 Prohibited practices in contests of knowledge, skill, or chance

Summary

Title 47, §509

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

Prior Provisions

Citations & Metadata