Will the Fairness Doctine be a top priority of the upcoming Democratic Congress?

[blueclown]

Have we heard anything from Pelosi about this?

Good lord, I hope so. Talk radio has become a cesspoll of conservative misinformation.

Let's hope our Dem representatives ignore the right wing echo chamber and get this passed within the first 100 days.

[ComtesseDeSpair]

1. I know I'll be writing President Obama about this

And voter protection reform as well.

[mikelgb]

2. No. That is another fringe kooky-kucinich issue.

Like national single-payer healthcare and peace

[blueclown]

5. The Fairness Doctrine is not a fringe kooky issue.

WTF are you talking about?

[Progressive_In_NC]

37. You are right, we've GOT to get Maddow and Olbermann and Matthews off the air

I'm sorry but I think this is the worst idea ever. Folks are starting to turn the corner and we could have a left-moderate echo chamber rising to the forefront. I'd hate to stifle that with the stinkin fairness doctrine.

[Zhade]

42. That was sarcasm.

NT!

[G_j]

19. I believe

you forgot the sarcasm thingy

[mikelgb]

24. I did?

[Occulus]

39. You did

Loss of the Fairness Doctrine allowed the rise of the far-right talking heads.

One thing you need to remember is that authoritarians turn to authority figures to bolster their arguments, and many of those authority figures are in talk radio. Prior to the loss of the Fairness Doctrine (which, IIRC was in place for years and years and was removed by- surprise!- Reagan), these low-information types got balanced views from those sources. Following the removal of the FD, the far right became able to spew their bile without being challenged or corrected, and started calling all manner of falsehoods "facts".

We need the fairness doctrine back. The far right talking heads are 100% correct when they say it would mean the end of conservative talk radio, because conservative talk radio specifically cannot survive in an environment of thought, intellectual challenge, and real balance.

If you still don't believe me as to how damaging unchallenged, conservative talk radio can become, I believe Rwanda provides the object lesson you're looking for.

[HowHasItComeToThis]

3. BETTER BE ON THE AGENDA, ALONG WITH UNIFORM VOTING

[Taverner]

4. Second Obama Administration

First? It's cleanup time.

[Bill219]

6. We do not need the fairness doctrine back

We need to break up the media ownership monopolies...this is where the real problem lies

Fairness doctrine will do nothing, because all the stations will do is do like FOX news does and hire some weak lib to represent our side..ala Hannity and Colmes

Make sure news stations both TV and radio return to reporting the news without any bias.

Get the entertainment factor out of the news...our founding forefathers would be astonished if they saw what the news has become today

[lib2DaBone]

22. Amen. We need to restore the Media Ownership Rules.

I don't know if many remember radio and TV as it was in 1980, pre-Reagan. Corporations were required as part of the license renewal process, to prove that they operated in the public's "Interest, Convenience and Necessity". Also, single corporations were limited to owning no more than 7 Am and 7 Fm stations. Plus, they could not own Radio AND Newspapers.

There was a time when you may have heard as many as 3 or 4 local newscasts on hometown radio stations across the USA. By the mid-80's Regan and his Repukes, had gutted the ownership rules and locally programmed radio was a thing of the past. As a result, we got 24 hour Rush Limbaugh, Michael Savage and Ann Coulter.

Today, basically one company, Clear Channel, owns all AM and FM radio in the United states. Clear Channel has a track record of being a right-wing conduit. Rupert Murdoch has gobbled up the remaining TV stations and Newspapers. Almost ANYONE can see what this has done to freedom of speech and political discussion.

If there is to be any freedom, or discussion of issues, we MUST return local radio to community owners.

[workinclasszero]

26. Totally agree with this.

Didn't the rule used to be a company could own one TV station, one radio station or one newspaper in a city and that was it?

These huge media monopolies have got to be broken up. They no longer serve the public, only themselves.

[fed_up_mother]

36. I totally agree. Fairness Doctrine is not the way to go.

Gone are the days when we have 3 major networks, PBS on tv, and a handful of local radio stations. It will be very hard to sell the fairness doctrine, and we might be very unhappy with what we get. Hannity and Colmes? Ugh

[depakid]

7. If comprehensive media re-regulation isn't a priority at the FCC

(which doesn't need the cowardly, complicit DINO's approval to enact rules and adjudicate cases under them) -then you can be sure that the rest of Obama's agenda isn't going to get very far.

[madokie]

8. Until we fix the media we have no chance of getting anywhere

all roads goes through the press being fixed and yes, fixed is the right word too.

[onenote]

16. what specific regulations do you want to see re-instated as part of this re-reg

I think some reforms are necessary, but I'm not sure what is included within "comprehensive media re-regulation"

[Mind_your_head]

9. Don't EVER expect anything from Pelosi.....you will never be dissappointed that way n/t

[PFunk]

10. I for one dont a return of the fairness doctine.

I feel it's not needed and may be harmful or progressive radio's efforts (anyone heard radio during those days-whie it was fair, it wasn't grea, infact it was kinda bland). What IS really needed is a major break up of the media monopolies. And STRICT attention to the rules concerning with these stations listening/paying attention to their listening/viewing public. Those two things (along with true Net Neutrality) will do wonders to downgrade the right wing echo chamber.

[blueclown]

11. Talk radio is great now?

While it may have been bland back then, it is much worse now. These liars have unfettered and unchecked access to spread their lies.

[nadinbrzezinski]

14. I'd rather have boring...than propaganda...don't care what side nt

[onenote]

12. It may be on the agenda, but it won't pass.

There are a lot of Democrats who find the Fairness Doctrine an anathema to the First Amendment. In addition, strategically, its an issue that, obviously, obviously, fires up the repub talk-radio base and giving them something to rally around when they are beaten and demoralized is a bad plan.

[blueclown]

15. Get me these Democrats names.

The Fairness Doctrine is not a violation of the First Amendment.

[onenote]

18. You willing to bet that it would survive a court challenge with this Supreme Court?

I'd take that bet in a heartbeat.

And the case for it being a violation of the First Amendment is actually pretty strong. The basis for content regulation of broadcasting was spectrum scarcity. But with cable, satellite, and the inernet, the ability to get one's message out to the public is far different today than it was in 1949 when the FD was first adopted.

[blueclown]

20. It would be a 5-4 decision.

Depends on how Kennedy votes.

[ObamanationYes1]

28. How So?

[blueclown]

31. The Fairness Doctrine does not violate free speech.

The Fairness Doctrine will not limit what conservative radio commentators are allowed to say. It will just limit how many of them are allowed on the air.

[onenote]

33. you've just defined a limit on free speech

The First Amendment no more tolerates a limit on the number of conservative commentators that a station can present than it should tolerate a limit on the number of progressive commentators. It should no more limit what a station presents than what a newspaper or an Internet site presents.

[blueclown]

34. The lack of a Fairness Doctrine effectively eliminates free speech for liberals on talk radio.

Yet you have a problem with conservative talk radio have a 50% strangehold on the public airwaves rather than a 99% stranglehold?

[onenote]

38. I have a problem with the government deciding how much speech anyone can make

What is the exact line between "conservative" and "progressive." How do you parse out a fair allotment of time for every single point of view on every single issue?

[Ioo]

13. Not at all,...

[GreenPartyVoter]

17. I hope so

[G_j]

21. Not without REAL PRESSURE

from us...

[Individualist]

23. Not as long as DLC controls the party

[endless october]

25. i am against it.

Obama will win on ideas. the fairness doctrine is the government suppression of wrong ideas. no thanks. i'd rather people reject propaganda voluntarily.

the fairness doctrine would be a mistake.

[ObamanationYes1]

29. Good analysis

Also, if it extended to Tee Vee ..look out KO

[endless october]

30. yep.

that's what i was thinking.

if you're gonna have KO, you have to have some neocon spouting BS on the AM out there somewhere.

otherwise, eventually the pendulum swings the other way, the neocons resume power, and they pull KO off the airwaves.

no thanks. free speech is important.

[Mind_your_head]

40. self-delete

[DeltaLitProf]

27. No. In today's media climate it's unenforcible

But on Right-wing conspiracy radio, they've been mentioning it as though Democrats in Congress would indeed try this. Some few may try, but it won't go anywhere.

[blueclown]

32. Today's media climate?

You mean the right wing noise machine will fight against it?

[Freddie Stubbs]

35. Have many candidates for Congress run on a platform of making this a priority?

:shrug:

[dysfunctional press]

41. hopefully not- it wouldn't do a thing in regards to the likes of limbaugh et al...

they're "entertainment" programs.

[KharmaTrain]

43. Reregulation Of The Airwaves...

The Fairness Doctrine would have had NO effect on today's talk radio...it was designed for advertising and mandated public affair shows. Hate radio considers itself as "Entertainment".

The big push should be into re-examining and then drastically revising Telcom '96...the bill that turned the public airwaves over to private corporations that led to the proliferation of hate talk and removed a lot of local voices, programming and access. A priority of the new FCC is to reinstitute ownership caps, shorten license renewal times and to enable citizens once again to challenge license of stations that don't serve local needs.

The reality is radio is dying...most the large broadcast companies have suffered several years of advertising decline and have taken a major hit in the recent market crashes. Hate radio isn't paying the bills...it's hey day and influence have long since peaked and the medium is due for a long deserved and needed shaking out.