Far as I understand it, radio stations must give equal time for political speech. Overly simplistic example: Rush Limbaugh for an hour then Air America for an hour. The theory is (I think) that the U.S. government owns the spectrum on which radio is broadcast so it shouldn't be the domain of only one political viewpoint. It was standard FCC policy until 1987 or 1988 when Reagan got rid of it and helped to usher in the then-new Conservative talk radio movement.
Don't like it. I don't much like FCC oversight as it is, and it would seem that you'd have to have a whole department of 500 or so people monitoring everything and deciding if A) said broadcast was political, and B) whether not said broadcast was left or right.
I am not a fan of it. I also don't listen to much talk radio, if I do it is most likely NPR. (don't know if that is really 'talk' radio). The FCC has sometimes gone a bit too far over the last few years with fines and such. I don't think that the FCC should try to dictate the content of talk radio.
There were some bad aspects of having the Fairness Doctrine, and everyone was trying to get around it, but it is really bad now without it. I don't know which is worse.
I don't like it. I think a station ought to be able to play all liberal BS or all conservative BS if it wants to do so. There is no shortage of opinions on both sides of the fence that you can easily find and listen to if you care enough. Hook em
i guess they should also legislate that the conservative viewpoint is equally represented at our schools and in our universities.
Put me in the anti camp. Much like the bills to legislate in more conservative professors, there just isnt a workable solution. You cant force people to do something they dont want to do, ie make liberals act like asses on AM radio, or force conservatives to teach. Both ideas are ridiculous.
Agreed, stupid idea. I visited Budapest once and they had porn on public access channels. I don't know if the FCC should be that permissive, but short of hardcore porn, I think radio and tv stations should be able to show whatever they want. Let the marketplace bankrupt media that the public does not like/agree with. It amazes me that Europe entertainment broadcasts have less government censorship, in many instances, than the US.
One of the worst ideas I've ever heard. I will go balistic if the dems pass this. I fully expect them to. There is absolutely no compelling reason for this steaming pile of crap that is the fairness doctrine. Let the people sort out what they want to listen to. If there is a market for liberal talk radio there will be liberal talk radio. As of now it does not seem to be commercially viable in many (any?) places. Worthless, this idea, worthless.
Again I am anti-fairness doctrine too. Just a philosophical/hypothetical question: For those who oppose it. Are you in equal opposition of making ANY sort of law to govern professors at universities in terms of their ideological beliefs, or having some sort of requirement to even out the faculty ideologically? On the fairness doctrine, what if part of it also addressed the "MSM," and forced them to have more conservative viewpoints?
Yes- against the idea of mandated conservative chairs at university or doing anything about the MSM. Those are all fantastically bad ideas. That being said- I think Public university's should welcome and invite conservatives onto campus. Diversity of opinion is really a good thing at a university. Sadly, too many think diversity of opinion at School is an argument between marxism v populism v progressive ideology. But, ultimately this decision is up to the university's themselves and I don't particularly want the government involved in this.
The Government should not be in the business of regulating how much "conservative" vs "liberal" opinion programs occur on AM radio. Reeks of State-sponsored media like in China.
The fairness doctrine isn't coming back. Nobody wants it back. And even if it did come back it won't really be back because it never really existed in he first place the way agitators on both sides of the so-called "issue" would have you believe. It's the stupidest ******* argument there ever was, and what makes most people want to talk about it is that it effects broadcasters and they convince you that it's important, which it isn't. It's a dog whistle for suckers on the left and right. Congratulations.
BC- I heard Chuck Schumer talking about it the day after the election. Labeling talk radio hate radio and saying that the government should be able to regulate the same way they do with porn. I've heard that Pelosi and Reed are in favor of the fairness doctrine. I certainly don't trust Obama to veto it if given the bill. I hope I'm wrong. I will be surprised if it doesn't get taken up (and passed if no filibuster breaker in the senate) sometime toward the end of 09. Hope I'm wrong and you are right.
Put me in the "Hell No" category. We need to hear what the whackos are saying both on the right and the left... and the ones that aren't even on the right/left continuum.
BC, glad to see you back. I guess us right-wing nut jobs couldn't keep you away too long. It's nice to have some of your good logic back on the board.
