According to a recent poll done by Rassumessen, nearly 47% of Americans seem to support some version of the Fairness Doctrine. I am shocked that almost half the country feels that it is fine for the government to regulate Free Speech. My guess is that if folks actually understood what was being proposed, we would see that number drop dramatically.
For those too young to remember, The Fairness Doctrine was a policy of the U.S. Federal Communications Commission that required the holders of broadcast licenses both to present controversial issues of public importance and to do so in a manner that was honest, equitable, and balanced. The doctrine has since been withdrawn by the FCC, and certain aspects of the doctrine have been questioned by courts.
The new version would be specifically targeted at talk radio, and the likes of Rush Limbaugh, Sean Hannity, and Mark Levine. The Democrats are unhappy that talk radio is dominated by Conservative shows, without a balanced number of Liberal shows. Radio stations argue that they cannot generate ad revenue with Liberal shows, that they just are not popular with their audience. Apparently, however, they are conformable with the Liberal TV news media (ABC, NBC, and CBS). They are only suggesting that radio should be regulated, for now.
Having the government regulate the content and views of radio stations seems like a step backwards in terms of free speech. If a station had a guest on talking about the importance of good child nutrition and the dangers of child obesity, would they than have to also have a guest that advocated McDonald’s? Who makes the decision on what is “honest, equitable, and balanced”? Nancy Pelosi or George Bush?
Do you think the Fairness Doctrine an infringement of Free Speech?
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