During that brief period when "folk music" appeared on the airwaves, the local AM station in Baltimore, WCAO, banned "The Eve of Destruction." Well, it's not quite a folk song, but don't tell Barry Mc Guire. It was quite common during the '50's for media, TV, radio, newspapers, and magazines to just neglect to report things. It was blatant censorship. If you have a popular music show I think you have the right to choose your play list as long as you are willing to say you do that. If you are "reporting" I think it becomes unethical to censor news, period.

Of course, Rock and Roll was going to lead to the sexual undoing of America and so was seen by many as evil. Surprisingly, "they" were right, I think it did assist the sexual undoing of America. The question becomes therefore, "Was that such a bad thing?"

Pete Seeger and the Weavers, of course, were "banned' from radio and television for years due to Mc Carthy black listing that was so common.

This leads me to comment, Rick Fielding, you must not be an "Old Folker" or "banning" as a concept would not have been so surprising to you. Bans are sometimes the decision of a station manager. Sometimes, it is the decision of a larger group and that decision may be overt or covert. If you only believe what you read in the papers (or see on the TV or hear on the radio), you will find yourself led around like a bull with a ring in its nose.

This is why so many in power fear the Internet. Anyone with a PC, a modem, and an Internet connection is a publisher of sorts. And, consequently, all sorts of ideas appear.

Roger in Baltimore