Abstract
A 1948 journalistic scoop informed the public and broadcast regulators about misconduct on the airwaves. The investigation by Lee Zhito established Billboard—known for music coverage and song charts—as a legitimate journalism voice in the radio industry. Zhito exposed news slanting and editorializing by station owner George A. Richards, who expressed to staff his abhorrence of Blacks, Jews, Communists, and Democrats—especially Franklin D. Roosevelt. The Mayflower doctrine banned editorializing and advocated public service, yet Richards’s views shaped news and commentary airing on KMPC in Los Angeles, WJR in Detroit, and WGAR in Cleveland. Zhito’s exposé produced national ramifications, led to the first major FCC case addressing news slanting and broadcast licensee obligations, generated 18,000 transcript pages and one of the FCC legal department’s most strongly worded documents affirming broadcaster public service. Journalists revealing secret practices can have a direct impact, pressuring industry and regulators to be more serious about upholding responsibilities.
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