The Fairness Doctrine was a policy of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC). Basically it meant that radio stations had to have equal time for all points of view. It was repealed by the FCC in 1987.
The FCC stated,
"the intrusion by government into the content of programming occasioned by the enforcement of [the Fairness Doctrine] restricts the journalistic freedom of broadcasters ... [and] actually inhibits the presentation of controversial issues of public importance to the detriment of the public and the degradation of the editorial prerogative of broadcast journalists,"
and suggested that, because of the many media voices in the marketplace, the doctrine be deemed unconstitutional.
After the repeal of the doctrine Conservative radio audiences skyrocketed, led by Rush Limbaugh and other conservative talk radio hosts. Radio has been the one area where conservatives can really get their voices heard.
Many high ranking democrats such as house speaker Nancy Pelosi, Senator John Kerry, and Al Gore want to bring back the Fairness Doctrine. Editorials in The Wall Street Journal and The Washington Times have said that Democratic attempts to bring back the Fairness Doctrine have been made largely in response to and contempt for the successes of conservative talk radio.
Most talk radio stations have a conservative format and they make a nice profit. There has been some attempts to make liberal radio talk show stations (Air America) and they have met with little success. Now if the conservative stations have to cut their broadcasting in half to give equal time to liberals then they will more then likely lose money. This is common sense folks. No one says they can't have liberal stations, just don't tell the stations how they have to be formatted.
In the 109th Congress (2005-2007) the Dems had tried to get legislation passed to re-instate the Fairness Doctrine. It did not pass. The worry is what will happen now with the current makeup of congress and with Obama supporting the bill which he would almost certainly sign?
So if they pass this legislation it would only be fair that they should pass Fairness Doctrines in all forms of media. The television news stations would then have to have equal time for Republicans and Democrats. I really don't think the Dem's would do that. I just don't see them wanting to give up their liberal stranglehold on media outlets. The fact is they won't. This is just another way for the liberals to try and silence any opposition.
Get the message out on this very important piece of legislation. They should not try to silence us!
God be with us all!
Terry
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5 comments:
A government which can regulate the content of a media broadcast is a government which can impose the Fairness Doctrine. Hence, the larger philosophical question is whether it is a legitimate function of government to dictate the content of any broadcast or whether the marketplace of ideas should decide what is listened to and watched.
Bill Richards
http://soundoffamericaforum.blogspot.com/
My belief is that media should be dictated by supply and demand. Give people what they want not what the government says you should have. The less the government interferes the better.
So can the FCC set decency standards or should the market dictate the standards?
Bill Richards
http://soundoffamericaforum.blogspot.com/
I would like to see that one of the only regulations be "decency standards". The market already dictates what they want to hear. If they don't like it they can change the channel.
With the things that Howard Stern and his ilk are able to get away with is disgusting and wrong for any society to have to put up with. Especially one that is supposed to be civilized. So in this and other cases decency standards should be emphasized. The fact is our children can tune into the radio as well. Talking politics and religion is one thing. Being fouled mouthed and obscene is another.
I truly believe that our society needs more decency to life in general.
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