§327 Naval Stations; Use for Commercial Messages; Rates

Summary

The Secretary of the Navy may use Navy-owned radio stations, unless blocked by an international agreement, to send and receive press messages from U.S. newspapers and press groups and to carry private commercial messages between ships, between ship and shore, and between places in Alaska and between Alaska and the continental U.S. He sets the terms and charges, which must be fair and can be reviewed and changed by the Commission if someone complains. Charges for these services must not be lower than private station rates, except for press messages on routes involving the U.S. Pacific coast, Hawaii, Alaska, Guam, American Samoa, the Philippine Islands, the Orient, and between the U.S. and the Virgin Islands. The Navy must stop carrying messages for any route or between a place and private ships once private stations can meet normal communication needs and the Commission tells the Secretary.