What is the "Fairness Doctrine"..

[fencesitter]

that the wingers are carrying on about like it's some big issue? Keeps showing up on boards.

[Somawas]

1. Here.

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

[fencesitter]

3. Oh. I figure net neutrality would be a bigger issue.

[gatorboy]

5. How so?

[ProudToBeBlueInRhody]

2. Basically, it would kill their stranglehold on talk radio.....

....which is the only reason mindless simpletons have been going to the booth and voting for Rethugs for the last 25 years.....

[amdezurik]

4. it is a concept they fought for a long time

until they got it invalidated, now they figure they need it so it becomes their poster-boy. Typical bullies/morans behavior.

[KharmaTrain]

6. It's Obsolete And A Straw Man...

I worked with the Fairness Doctrine in the 80's...it provided "equal time" to political candidates on Public affairs shows and special laws that prohibited stations from not selling advertising time to one candidate and not another...or to charge different rates or price gouge.

It has nothing to do with the hate radio we know of today. Most of the public affiars requirements were wiped out during the "deregulation" of radio in the 90's and most talk shows are not considered public affairs but "entertaiment" and not under any provisions of equal time. That's why Rushbo claims he's an "Entertainer"...the ruse to bypass the old rules.

The game the right wing is playing is to try to preserve their dying medium. They want to legislate their own "Fairness Doctrine" that would prohibit a station now airing hate programming from changing formats...even if the station is sold to a new owner. They fear reregulation of a medium that would open the door to more diverse voices and opinions and want to maintain their little dying plantation.

[robcon]

7. I don't understand your post, Kharma Train.

I don't recognize your description of the "Fairness Doctrine" at all. Numerous DUers (a majority?) want it reinstated - as if the First Amendment (freedom of speech/freedom of press) never existed.

I don't think you understand that too many DUers really want the government to return to the days when they regulated the content of the broadcast press in order to shut down right wing radio. Fortunately, President Obama believes in the First Amendment, and I don't think the Fairness Doctrine will be restarted.

As we all know, the problem with the Fairness Doctrine is not just regulation of the the content of the press violates the First Amendment, it's the resulting self-censorship of media outlets who would worry they might be censored or fined, and therefore hold back coverage or comment on important events in order to appear to be "fair."