Ban on political ads on public TV struck down

[Eugene]

Source: Reuters

By Jonathan Stempel, Terry Baynes and Jasmin Melvin

Thu Apr 12, 2012 3:09pm EDT

(Reuters) - A divided U.S. appeals court struck down a federal ban on political advertising on public TV and radio stations, a decision that could open the public airwaves to a heavy dose of campaign ads leading up to the November elections.

By a 2-1 vote, a panel of the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco said the Federal Communications Commission violated the First Amendment's free speech clause by blocking public broadcasters from running political and public issue ads.

The court said the ban was too broad, and that lifting it would not threaten to undermine the educational nature of public broadcast stations. It upheld a ban on ads for goods and services on behalf of for-profit companies.

"Public issue and political speech in particular is at the very core of the First Amendment's protection," Judge Carlos Bea wrote in the main opinion.

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Read more: http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/04/12/us-fcc-advertising-ban-idUSBRE83B1D420120412

[sinkingfeeling]

1. They just continue to kill off public radio and TV.

[Blue_Tires]

10. That's been their plan from the start

death by a thousand cuts

[RKP5637]

2. That's just great, all we need, more stupid political ads to dumb down the populace even more. n/t

[liberal N proud]

3. Damn, there is no escape!

[greiner3]

4. On the other hand;

Any person who is listening to NPR in the first place is pretty much going to vote a Progressive ticket anyway.

So if a Republican/Conservative/Tea Party ad runs then I see it will make it that much more apt the listeners will make sure they vote.

Conversely, any Democratic/Progressive ad that airs will only reinforce the listener's views. Also, any Democratic ad will be of the non-attack ad.

Also, this will bring in some badly needed cash to some local stations and a LOT of cash to NPR itself.

BUT, it still sucks. Anyone want to start a poll on what SCOTUS would do if this decision were appealed?

[mlevans]

5. No takers.

The ruling on such an appeal is far too obvious.

[EC]

7. Yeah,

silver lining....they spend money for ads that are wasted...


Did anyone notice last nights Nova was paid for by ....David Koch? I wonder what his agenda is?

[KamaAina]

9. This episode of Sesame Street is brought to you by the numbers 5 and 4, and by the letter W.

Anyone want to start a poll on what SCOTUS would do if this decision were appealed?

[Scruffy1]

13. NPR and PBS are already corporate controlled.

When public finding was largely eliminated and they became corporate sponsored they both become spokesman for the corporations. I don't have a TV (won't) but can't even listen to PBS anymore without some Koch funded mouthpiece giving their hired "view point". I swear if they had a discussion about the shape of the earth they would come up with the conclusion that earth is half flat after listening to both "sides".
Greg Palast has it right when he calls NPR National Petroleum Radio.

[EC]

6. Oh, just great...

now is there anywhere on TV where we can get entertainment and none of those ads? It's getting to the point with the robocalls and TV where I'm beginning to feel harassed. Isn't there anything we can do when TV becomes like telemarketing...intrusive?

[aquart]

8. Who is this supertwit?

[progressoid]

11. Ugh.

[Festivito]

12. Bad to worse: American media.

We use use a media that is run by randomly selected people awaiting a jury call.