Republicans claim FCC working on 'Fairness Doctrine 2.0'
Source: The Hill
... House Republicans are accusing the Federal Communications Commission of trying to revive the Fairness Doctrine, which required radio and TV stations to air opposing views on controversial issues.
... But Republican members of the House Energy and Commerce Committee claim the FCC is exploring new rules for news organizations through a study it announced earlier this year.
"Given the widespread calls for the Commission to respect the First Amendment and stay out of the editorial decisions of reporters and broadcasters, we were shocked to see that the FCC is putting itself back in the business of attempting to control the political speech of journalists," the Republicans wrote in a letter to FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler on Tuesday, warning the agency is moving toward a "Fairness Doctrine 2.0."
... The FCC hasn't proposed any new regulations for news organizations. The Republicans are referring to a little-noticed study the agency announced last month on "critical information needs." The FCC is required by law to study ways to eliminate barriers to entry for media organizations.
Read more: http://thehill.com/blogs/hillicon-valley/192774-republicans-claim-fcc-working-on-fairness-doctrine-20