Radio Preachers Part 3

The FCC hates Dr. Gene Scott.
I've had harsh words in the past for religious radio stations. Usually my problem is their satillite-fed content and utter lack of localism. It's the same problem I have with certain large commercial owners that have the same problem. But Dr. Scott was local. He was the pastor of the Los Angeles U. Cathedral. He was big on UHF TV and huge on short-wave. I remember that WHCT-TV 18, used to do 24 hours a day of the Doctor from a tower in Avon Connecticut years ago.

His biggest outlet was KKLA-FM When the FCC accused Scott of stealing from his tax-exempt ministry he gave them the finger and let his license lapse. Scott had been buying show ponies for his ranch with the money and the FCC saw that as suspect. Salem took it over and

But Dr. Scott was local. He was the pastor of the Los Angeles U. Cathedral. You may know him from his public-access program that was eclecticly unpredictable. Involving wiffle bats, his indiana Jones hat, frothing at the mouth, prolific cursing, playing saxophone, X-ray glasses.. and his charming habit of blowing his nose on camera. It was like Carrot Top as a Preacher. It's both fascinating and frightening.

In 1983, in the middle of his 30-year career, the FCC stripped Scott of 15 million dollars worth of broadcast stations. His response was to form the FCC Monkey band, a clip of which you can download on this post by The Professor at WFMU.

Dr. Scott was very direct in his request for money. He oftentimes would punish his viewers by refusing to talk until a certain amount of money was sent in. It was comedic. He would say the most outrageous things in his bully like demands for people to give up their money. You were definitely going to hell if you didn't give and your place in heaven was largely a determination of how much you gave.

Wild lefty article here about radio preachers at the link. If thinking offends you, don't click Here.