Burgess Owens: “tyrants in control of totalitarian countries like China, Serbia and Iraq consider control of the airwaves an absolute…”

“tyrants in control of totalitarian countries like China, Serbia and Iraq consider control of the airwaves an absolute necessity. They ruthlessly enforce censorship of a kind few of us can imagine in America. Last Monday, however, I had the weird and frightening experience of being gagged by a radio station manager in my own home City of New York. It started with a routine request that I call in for a phone interview on a show hosted on Radio Station WBAI by Ken Nash which focuses on union and labor news and features. The name of the show which commences at 2 p.m. was Building Bridges. As the ranking member on the Subcommittee on Workforce Protections, I welcome the chance to appear on shows related to working families or unions. It is important to note that Radio Station WBAI is a nonprofit station. It runs primarily on contributions solicited from its mass of diverse listeners. Since last December, this station has experienced considerable turmoil internally and long-term producers and hosts have been fired or locked out of the station. Like many New Yorkers, I am concerned about the present and future of this vital outlet for free speech on the radio.”