TAKING STOCK: Does government know best? Airwaves all over the world including America are restricted. This is what Harry Browne, the year 2000 US presidential candidate from the Libertarian party had to say, “What has 70 years of government regulation of radio and television done for us? They told us there were only a few frequencies that could carry radio broadcasts, and so we needed a government agency to carefully assign those frequencies to companies that would broadcast in the public interest (meaning the companies that had the most political influence). So for many years, there were a limited number of AM radio stations available in any city in the US. But then, lo and behold, it was suddenly discovered that stations could also broadcast on the FM radio band, and so the Federal Communication Commission (FCC) had dozens more stations to give to favoured companies in each city. But government control continued to be necessary because of the limited number of frequencies. But then, someone discovered low-power stations. And now we have satellite stations broadcasting on XM radio. In other words, there never has been a limited number of radio frequencies; it was an artificial restriction created by the FCC.” Browne then talks of the TV, “The same was true with television. At first, only 12 stations could broadcast in any city, using the VHF (Very High Frequency) band. The 12 frequencies were prized plums for those with political influence to obtain them. Then one day the FCC in its wisdom decided that there also was a UHF (Ultra High Frequency) band — and suddenly there were 86 more frequencies available. Cable television stations developed as a way of circumventing the FCC’s stranglehold on the TV frequencies. “Compare the slow development of radio and television with the breathtaking progress that private competition had brought to computers, telephones, fax machines, VCRs, CD players, TV sets, automobiles, and the Internet. Wouldn’t it be nice if radio and television could develop in the same efficient, inexpensive, rapid way?” Is the government best suited to deliver the mail, regulate newspapers, licence radio frequencies, own TV channels, and provide a phone service? The government does all this and much more in ‘public interest’, meaning in the interest of all of us. Public interest is a code word justifying government control and ownership. How is it in your and my interest if the government controls the airwaves, and thus abridges our freedom to see and hear what we want on TV and radio? Government interest is not the same as our interest. Government acts in the interest of politicians and bureaucrats. It is in their interest to assign licences to people of their choice. We know how this choice is exercised; the licences go to people with political influence, or who contribute to party and other funds of politicians & bureaucrats. The truth is that we don’t need government to regulate the airwaves either in the US or in Nepal. We do not need a ministry and a minister deciding for us who is to get the licence. We do, however, need the government to protect the frequency rights of the company which owns them. We need the courts to resolve disputes between contending parties alleging infringement of their rights. This is very different from actual rights being assigned by government fiat. And yes, we don’t need government imposed censorship either. We can censor all we want on our own. There is a device, given to us for this purpose by private initiative, — it’s called the ‘remote’. The job of protecting children from offensive material is that of the parents and teachers not of the state. In any event, in this day of Internet and mobile phones, I doubt if the state can control what adults or children watch. Lives are not destroyed by watching offensive material on TV or Internet but by government controls. In words of Browne, “I am sure that thousands of careers, tonnes of good entertainment, and billions of dollars have been sacrificed to the Great God of Government Regulation.” Free the world from regulators, all knowing bureaucrats, and money grubbing politicians. Free the radio, TV, and newspapers. End phone and postal monopolies. (The writer can be contacted at: everest@mos.com.np)