(Gov) Chafee to Issue Talk Radio Ban

[RamboLiberal]

Source: ABC News

State officials in Rhode Island will soon be ordered to stay off the airways, provided the interviewer happens to be a talk show host.

A spokesman for Gov. Lincoln Chafee tells the Providence Journal that talk radio is essentially “ratings-driven, for-profit programming,” and “we don’t think it is appropriate to use taxpayer resources” to have state employees use work time to “support for-profit, ratings-driven programming.”

Chafee intends to stay off the air, too, reversing something of a trend. His predecessor, Republican Gov. Donald Carcieri, was a frequent talk radio guest, as are many current and former governors and big city mayors across the country.

A former mayor of Providence, who happens to be one of the biggest talk show hosts in the state, sharply disagrees with the governor’s stance.

“Chafee is – I don’t want to be critical – but he’s not exactly Demosthenes,” says Buddy Cianci, who hosts the afternoon drive program on WPRO-AM. “The fact is that he’s got some issues that he maybe doesn’t have the answer to (on the air).”





Read more: http://blogs.abcnews.com/thenote/2011/01/chafee-to-issue-talk-radio-ban.html

[Robb]

1. That is a damn interesting argument. nt

[hootinholler]

11. Yeah it is.

I'm not sure quite what to make of it. On the one hand he has a point, but on the other hand it's part of their responsibility to inform the constituency.

:shrug:

-Hoot

[elleng]

2. Good, Buddy, he SHOULDN'T have answers 'on the air!'

[davidinalameda]

3. good for him

Buddy Cianci is the last person who should be talking about anyone's issues

the man is a convicted felon

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buddy_Cianci

[Forrest Greene]

13. Buddy Cianci (see-YAN-see) Is

...of the breed that used to be called "colorful." What I like best about him is his wife's name: NancyAnn Cianci.

[davidinalameda]

21. say that fast three times!

LOL

[valerief]

4. You'd think public television would be used for pols. nt

[tavalon]

5. I always liked Lincoln Chafee

Never could understand why he was a Republican.

[littlewolf]

10. His daddy was a Republican ... and so he followed

daddies foot steps .... ppl see the name Chafee and pull the lever ...

[ShockediSay]

22. His Dad, John Chafee was also a USMC Capt front line in Korean War nt

[molly77]

18. Me either

[dmr]

24. Same here. Always liked him during Senate hearings

He's better off being out of Congress now anyway. Yet, now that he's an Independent, he could caucus with the Dems.

BUT - I love Sheldon Whitehouse - & I enjoy him during the Senate hearings, even more!

:hi:

[onenote]

6. Not sure if this is a tenable approach

First, is this limited to radio? And only to "talk shows"? What about public affairs programs? What exactly is the distinction? What about television? Can no public official talk to a television personality? Is the distinction somehow between a "news" person and "talk show" person? What is Jon Stewart? Olbermann? What about the Sunday morning shows? The lines are not black and white anymore.

Second, what about newspapers? They are "for profit" and effectively ratings driven (in the sense that they are advertiser supported and thus the size of the audience is important. Who can state employees talk to? Reporters, but not columnists? Again, how can one draw a clear line?

I understand the sentiment behind the decision, but I question whether its workable in practice.

[sledgehammer]

7. My thoughts exactly

The same would apply to TV and newspapers then. Not the smartest idea.

[Demoiselle]

9. You make good points, onenote.

But I sympathize with the Governor's attempt to starve the Beast. He needs to define his terms.

[alp227]

23. seems to me like kneejerk emotional reaction

I think that getting the message out is the most important thing to do. And this law would probably ban legislators from appearing on THOM HARTMANN's program. Hartmann is a more serious, calm, non-sensationalist radio talk host who interviews people of all political opinions (even hardline free-market apologists and right-wing religious folks). Instead, Gov. Chafee should be advocating for the Fairness Doctrine rather than proposing this ambiguous, possibly unconstitutional law (I bet that the talk radio corporations will be getting out bigwig lawyers waving around the First and Fourteenth Amendments)

[cbdo2007]

28. He seems to be distinguishing between partisan talk radio, though I'm not sure

how he could really enforce that.

I've always wondered here in Kansas City, whenever they have a Democrat on one of these conservative talk shows they attack them relentlessly, so why would they ever go on there?

I agree with his efforts here, because it is an interesting idea, I agree with you, that they're going to have a difficult time enforcing this.

[msongs]

8. public employees shoud not e talking to any media while on the job period unless their job is media

spokesperson. they are paid to work not blab all over the place.

[Earth_First]

12. Nice transparency in government...

I agree on the rhetoric and the antagonizing of violent behavior has got to STOP, but making the federal government recluse themselves from the public does not seem to be a viable option, in my opinion...

[DCKit]

14. They'll just do what the MSM does and begin interviewing each other.

It'll be like having a Rush, Bill'O, Ann Coulter and Hannity roundtable. Ugly, ugly times are ahead.

[Ian David]

15. I don't know if I like this idea. I'd hate to give up Brunch with Bernie every Friday. n/t

[Chemical Bill]

16. Of course the felon Cianci hates this...

OTOH, I was really happy to hear it.

Bill

[faz]

17. Great move!

Also all state employees should not listen to and call hate radios.

[Gore1FL]

19. Quoting the article:

Based on the comments, many didn't read the article, so let me highlight this:

The governor’s office has issued a clarification, saying the policy will not apply in “emergency situations,” like impending snow storms. Nor will the rule apply to interviews with news reporters or on the local NPR station, Christian Vareika, a Chafee spokesman said.

"They can not go on TALK Radio" is a different animal than "they can not talk on radio."

[WestSeattle2]

20. I think the distinction is "entertainment" vs. "news" - I'm sure the

governor will be more than happy to hold news conferences and take questions. It's the entertainment side of TV and radio that is the problem. All too many hosts try to be more obnoxious, belligerent, and hateful than their counterparts in order to improve their ratings. They're all chasing the lowest common denominators. What a way to earn a living.

[upi402]

25. Good. They can go on local PBS and skip the Jerry Springer radio tour

I think a boycott of the crap is overdue. Never thought I'd see a pol stop himself, or herself.

[No Elephants]

26. First Amendment? Anyone? Anyone? Buehler? Buehler? Anyone?

[melm00se]

27. if he fires someone foer this

it will draw an immediate lawsuit and the fired party will probably win.

many folks (left and right)only believe in Constitutional rights when they are used to validate the positions with which they agree otherwise they get tossed on the trash heap

[MikeW]

30. not at all

Many federal agencies have press/media offices and officials. There are agencies in which employees are prohibited from

speaking with the press directly without prior approval or authorization when representing their agency or the government.

[cbdo2007]

29. Your employer has the right to fire you for whatever they want.

How is this issue a First Amendment issue??

At my job, if I called in to a local radio program and did a 20 minute interview with them during work time, I would be fired as well. It isn't a First Amendment issue, it is an employer not wanting his employee wasting company money on something not work related.