O'Neill,Digital Radio in Europe: Technologies,Industries, and Cultures

The U.S. Government's role as overseer of the World War II airwaves was significant, given the government's task of establishing a supervisory mechanism for the radio industry that would serve the need of national security and, at the same time, minimize the need for bureaucratic intrusion into program decision making. A mechanism also was needed to police the domestic airwaves for unlicensed intruders and to monitor the international airwaves for enemy propaganda. To accomplish these tasks, the government enlisted the services of three agencies: the Federal Communications Commission, the Defense Communications Board, and the Office of Censorship. This paper examines the structure, operation, and contribution of each.