Posted on 11/08/2008 4:04:09 AM PST by Man50D
Democrat Henry Rivera, a former commissioner of the Federal Communications Commission, is expected to head President-elect Barack Obama's FCC transition team, a move that has sparked fear in media circles that the Fairness Doctrine may return to silence conservative talk radio.
If reenacted, the "Fairness Doctrine" would require broadcasts over the public airwaves to give equal time to opposing political views. For talk radio, which boomed after the law's repeal in 1987 by building an audience devoted to conservative talk, the law's return would decimate the industry's marketability.
Many fear the "Fairness Doctrine" would drive talk radio hosts – like Rush Limbaugh, Sean Hannity and Michael Savage – out of business.
Brian Maloney of the blog The Radio Equalizer said in his post, "Meet Talk's Executioner," he believes Rivera will use his position to bring back the law for that very purpose.
Rivera, according to Maloney, "is expected to lead the push to dismantle commercial talk radio that is favored by a number of Democratic Party senators. Rivera will play a pivotal role in preventing critics from having a public voice during Obama's tenure in office."
Rivera served on the five-member FCC from 1981 to 1985 under Republican chairman Mark Fowler. He is now a partner at the Wiley Rein law firm, the same firm current FCC chairman Kevin Martin worked at prior to his appointment to the FCC.
Rivera resigned from the FCC in 1985. The remainder of his term was served by President Reagan appointee Patricia Diaz Dennis, who opposed the Fairness Doctrine. The law was then repealed in 1987 after the FCC admitted it "had the net effect of reducing rather than enhancing the discussion of controversial issues of public importance."
(Excerpt) Read more at worldnetdaily.com ...
I didn't know anything had happened, since I didn't have time to get on yesterday. I noticed a thread in the chat earlier, so FR must have been totally dead.
Losing total access to my Conservative radio is not something I worry about. There is always a solution.
He will not be able to get such control without starting the next Civil War. If he wants one, he's got it.
Absolutely, there is always a ‘solution’. For example, litigate, litigate, litigate. If a news anchor wears a blue tie, complain about a lack of red ties. If a newsperson hits a republican, say Bush and Katrina, demand equal time. Make it so bad for the big three that they demand the fairness doctrine be replealed.
I have never understood the argument that giving the libs a voice on radio decimates the conservative voice. If the libs have a block of time and then Rush, Hannity etc have a block if time they can spend 15 minutes skewering the libs ridiculous arguments and then the world will have the opportunity to see the difference betweeen foolishness and logic.
The “fairness doctrine”, whether applied to newspapers, talk radio, commercials or anything is an anti-1st-amendment attack. It should be met with the same zeal as attacks on the 2nd-amendment. Do not give a fraction of an inch. The left is very pleased to make their progress in baby steps and incremental little nibbles. They know that with time, they can add these up to do whatever their goal is.
The goals of liberals right now take on a notion of pseudo-goodness that is difficult to counter; and their targets are: Fairness, hate-speech, hate-crime, sexual-harassment, racial harassment, politically incorrect speech and conduct of any kind, etc.
Who defines what is politically incorrect? It seems to be a moving target.
Being a jerk for stupid comments should not be rewarded by being labeled a criminal. It is just as effective to label the jerk a “jerk”.
Children who are too young to know better should not be tagged as sexual predators.
This goal of the socialists is suppression of free speech; and it will be achieved through the subtle and incremental imposition of a thousand innocuous rules of conduct, each of which will seem benign.
It is up to us to see it for what it is and prevent it from coming to pass.
...and yet he's going to swear on a Bible? Koran? that he will uphold said Constitution. I'm in a nightmare and can't seem to wake up!
If this happens Rush and the other conservative talk show hosts should just pool their money and buy a bunch of radio stations across the country and defy this clearly unconstitutional regulation.
A block of time? No thank you. America does not want to hear what the left has to say. If they did, liberal talk would be doing much better. It’s bad enough Rush and Mark have commercials.
Besides, I might miss some of Rush and Mark when I turn down the “radio” when the left is on. I can’t chance that, lol.
Same here. The only comfort I take is that I'm not alone! We have one heck of a fight on our hands!
Imagine...
Rush puts the word out and 20 million angry letters pour into the FCC.
My point is that the fairness doctrine is just child’s play when you look at what leftist authoritarians have done around the world.
Sure, there’s always a way around it, but what do you call “Radio Free America” when it’s America which needs to be freed?
I get what you’re saying. Remember my 1st post to you? The last sentence? “After all......they have started the “war” and WE will fight it.....together.”.
I meant that. America as a socialist nation is unnatural. I don’t see us real Americans giving in too easy. I have a feeling it will be very very messy!
What about Christian Radio?
CR*P! I didn't even think about that, nor do I want to. That alternative is way too scary to think about. Could you imagine radio time being devoted to satan? or golden cows?(shivers)
Satilite/internet radio, podcasting, off-shoring websites are going to have a boom time ahead.
yes. If we let them. It is still not too late that that time is drawing near.
WOLVERINES!!
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