12 February 1997 Ottawa Canada
Hi:
There are a couple of laws governing privacy of radio
communications in the U.S.
The radio communications act of 1934 says you can listen to just
about anything but cannot use the information for profit unless
it is addressed to all stations and you cannot gossip about what
the police swat team is doing down at the bank job.
Then there is the e.c.p.a. which they managed to get Cellular
covered under and it says in effect that cellular phones are like
a regular phone and you cannot listen in without a court ordered
wiretap.
So you can listen to anything you want in the U.S. but not
Cellular telephones!
Oh as far as listening to say police calls, distress messages are
by definition addressed to all stations.  But distress traffic is
when they say mayday.  Normally cops use 10-33 which is not
within the definition of distress traffic.
So you can get on KCBS or WABC and announce to the world a ship
is in distress if it used the magic word mayday, but not that a
cop needs help at the bank if he said 10-33.
If he meant mayday he would say it.
... Not tonight, dear.  I have a modem.
--- Blue Wave v2.12 [NR]
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