PRIA, Government Policy, Made Personal

Summary

Makes it illegal to trick radio audiences by fixing contests of knowledge, skill, or chance. No one may give a contestant secret help that decides the result, bribe or pressure a contestant to hold back their knowledge or skill, use schemes to preset winners, take part in making or airing a show they know is fixed, or agree with others to do any of these things. Contest = any radio contest that offers money or other prizes on the air. "Listening or viewing public" = people who use radio receivers to hear or view programs broadcast by radio stations. Penalty: up to $10,000 fine, up to one year in jail, or both.

Title 47, §509

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

(a)Influencing, prearranging, or predetermining outcome

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)“Contest” and “the listening or viewing public” defined

For the purposes of this section

(1)

(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)Penalties

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