That's Not A Bug

Commentary ^ | Dec. 17, '08 | J.G. Thayer

[T.L.Sink]

Obama has already intimated he wants a Fairness Doctrine. Pelosi didn't just intimate - she stated clearly that she wants it. With Obama and a liberal Democratic Congress, you can bet the family farm that the end of conservative talk radio is on their high-priority list. It's a sort of telecommunications affirmative action: assist the less competent, penalize the competent, and eliminate competition in favor of predetermined end-results.

[Rummyfan]

Hell they already have NPR - and we pay for it! Try listening to an hour of that garbage. Just try!

[misterrob]

she wants it to apply to cable and satellite programming

Well, Fox News can prove that it hires people on the left to discuss issues. MSNBC & CNN simply can't.

[Post Toasties]

Put Rush on NPR then. The Fairness Doctrine will ‘require’ it.

[unkus]

“Hell they already have NPR - and we pay for it! Try listening to an hour of that garbage. Just try!”

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I can’t stand it. Mushy crap, among other things.

[Frantzie]

Congress people? We then boycott companies in their district. I think one pushing this was in Palo Alto which is home of Hewlett Packard. Big employers do not want this kind of headache.

This is something the UAW needs to think hard about. If they piss off the public then Ford, GM and Chrysler are gone for good. Conservatives buy American. Most Libs do not.

[lilylangtree]

Good grief! Next will be the shutdown of the Internet where free speech is truly exercised.

[Redbob]

It’s damn well time NPR was de-funded!

[Don Corleone]

Also not mentioned...it would require those stations with religious formats to devote ‘equal time’ to the atheistic diatribes now becoming more and more common.

[billorites]

Go ahead, kiss my tote bag!

[mamelukesabre]

MSNBC & CNN don’t hire people on the left?

[UCANSEE2]

Thank you for posting the article.

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Well, let ‘the people’ have this ‘Fairness Doctrine’.

However, it should apply to the entire broadcast portfolio of each station.

For instance, Hard Rock stations should have to play Beethoven for half of their listening hours.

C&W stations must play Hip Hop and Teenie Pop.

Rap stations must play Mormon Church music.

You get the idea.

Let’s see what happens then.

[BenLurkin]

Prediction: the bad guys will also attempt to regulate sites like FReerepublic out of existence within the next 4 years.

[BenLurkin]

Ha!

[sionnsar]

Good grief! Next will be the shutdown of the Internet where free speech is truly exercised.

Bring back Fidonet!

[unkus]

How could they regulate FR and others like us? We need to get educated on this so we can fight back.

[BenLurkin]

How?

As part of a scheme to regulate the internet completely. Globally.

[kc8ukw]

So obviously just an attempt to limit free speech, and unconstitutional to boot. The idea with the original fairness doctrine was that there was only a limited range of frequencies that could be used for radio broadcasts - and as a limited public resource, they could be regulated. To go after cable is to not even hide their real intentions.

[unkus]

Like “Thought police” monitoring our expressions

[CodeMasterPhilzar]

Ok, be fair - let the market decide. Oh, that’s right, it already has. No-one wants to hear a bunch of out-of-touch liberals whining about this or that idealistic tripe. Conservative talk radio sells, tough luck ‘rats.