Fairness Doctrine "Fair?"
 

Clinton, Kerry and Feinstein and many more from the left, are whining about the lack of "Liberal Talk Radio" time that is spent on the airwaves. They state there is a imbalance that is effecting their ability to reach mainstream America. Al Franken's "Air America" has gone financially defunct because of the lack of listeners. Liberal policy advocates, and mainstream listeners don't generally tune in to this type of broadcasting because it must not interest them strongly.

Conservative Talk radio is has become big business and growing annually to about 30 million listeners or more. Concervatives tend to take policy seriously and gravitate more toward the airwaves for information and forum.

Rush Limbaugh, Shaun Hannity, Larry Elder, Michael Savage, Dennis Pragar and many more have a radio following that is unparalleled in history and continuously growing!

Liberals would like to control the airwaves and require radio stations to provide equal time to liberal talk show hosts who have proven incapable of making money for the parent radio stations. listeners are generally not interested in liberal talk radio obviously.

This would mean that stations would be required to provide equal time even at a business loss. Sounds like true blue liberalism to me.

The fairness doctrine is so hypocritical considering that the media is 90% liberal. The public school systems and university's are all managed and formatted by libs. Most all network television stations and KCET. Hollywood is the hugely left leaning including Michael Moore and Disneyland...

The left will move big brother in and require the FCC to limit conservative talk Radio and force independent privately owned stations to broadcast their rhetoric at the expense of the radio station. Many may just go back to playing the top 40 instead of losing money.

The next thing will be Hate speech. Anyone who denounces the left will be a hate crime. I'm surprise conservative radio hasn't been coined as Hate Radio ...But it will.

Bob
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Re: Fairness Doctrine "Fair?"
 

Corrected. ;)

Free speech? What's that?

Chris,

I'm surprised that this topic/issue hasn't raised more eyebrows. I'm surprise you dont have anything to add.

Bob

Seems to me this issue was decided years ago by the SCOTUS

We all know that when the left dominates the air waves, it is business as usual, but when the right gets a foothold or even dominates, it's time to bring out some sort of "fairness doctrine".

I wonder if radio stations will be able to claim "essential need" to get a waiver from the doctrine? (If you get the reference, you will understand the deeper meaning here.)

No, this is just the "I'm taking my ball and going home" syndrome allowed to get out of control.

That many current politicians would like to have the government carefully monitor and control the political content of what is said on talk radio, for the "common good," is not surprising at all.

It is entirely consistent with their political philosophy and is inevitable under that philosophy, as history has shown. So surprising, no, not at all.

Does NPR not count? they're pretty darned liberal, and they have a very strong and popular presence on the airwaves. Maybe because they're non-profit, they're not considered?

I'm not sure I understand the point. Wasn't it just a few years back, liberals were writing off conservative talk radio as being right-wing nutjobs? Now they're saying they can't reach the mainstream, because there's nobody listening to their talk radio? So that means that the audience must not be nearly as right-wing nutjobby as you previously asserted?

My thought is that they have free speech, just like the conservatives. They've chosen, mostly for audience demand reasons, not to go via talk radio. The problem lies, then, not with the talk radio hosts (who have a huge audience of conservatives), but with the audience, who isn't listening to talk radio.

Am I right?

The,

I agree, as long as the doctrine or indoctrination is precisely their left wing philosophy. If it is anywhere close to being conservative, its considered subversive and far right hate...I remember Time magazine with a picture of Newt Gingrich on the cover as the "Grinch Who Stole Christmas" because he wanted congress to control spending on Social programs. This is fair and acceptable for them...

Bob

djmcmath,

Agree completely...+1 Their problem is as I said too. Not to many people are interested in the rhetoric on the airwaves. These people are dangerous to have in control of anything. They think anuyone with a different opinion other than Marxism, need re-education camps...

And what about the newspapers. All but a handful are completely leftist.

And then there's the network and cable news...

Don't get me started!

daepp,

Thats my idea, As Americans, we need to rise up against these neo fascists and control their destiny..Right out of office..Just like "W" and his cronies that wont do anything about the border.

Talk radio didn't exist before the SCOTUS ruled against the fairness doctorine, for precisely the reason that radio station managers didn't want their FCC license subject to the whims of what some regulator thought was fair or not.

Should bloggers on both side put in a second column for an opposing viewpoint?

Should someone who speaks out against pedophlia be required to host NAMBLA for an opposing viewpoint?

I'm really surprised they would even attempt to support this. I would think that they'd be embarrassed but I guess not....

ABC, CBS and NBC all lean left, the three or four major newspapers (LAT, NYT Post etc.) are overwhelmingly left and there are already hundreds (thousands?) of taxpayer supported radio and television stations (PBS/NPR) that are disgustingly one sided not to mention the Pacifica Network. Where's the imbalance?

The one major attempt at left wing commercial radio (AIR America) was pathetically bad and the marketplace spoke. The Washington Post has started a radio station here in DC but I understand it too is losing money and may go off the air.

For what it's worth I don't listen to right wing radio but do listen to the Pacifica network (great jazz and blues) and NPR (WBJC in Baltimore- great classical). When they turn to news or politics I turn them off.

I am no longer suprised at the tactics of the extreme left, I'm just amazed how many moderate democrats follow party lines and support this kind of crap. Censure on the radio, what good could possibly come of that?

I agree with Robert, America needs to rise up and run these idiots out of office, on both sides. There is certainly displeasure, but I wonder if we've gotten too lazy and complacent as a country to do anything about it. We seem to have an elected government that disregards the wishes of it's constituency, and they very well may get away with it.

I agree Matt,

As conservatives we are not typically the "Squeaky Wheel". As you can see throughout America we are galvanizing and sending Washington some messages to consider before lofting a Yay or Nay vote that may contrast their core constituents philosophy. I think we are witnessing a crossroads in the American political machine. You may see a third party do surprisingly well. One thing I want to stress to my fellow Pelicanites. Whether you agree or disagree with the premise of this thread, the one thing we as Americans need to imply that they don't have a monopoly on casting votes on issues that affect our democracy and our way of life. let these politicians know is that "We wont Forget" there deeds and will vote appropriately next time. The only thing that will get there attention is "Your days will be numbered if"

Bob