Next Bailout: Liberal Media?

The Heritage Foundation/ The Foundry ^ | James Gattuso

[Delacon]

Over the past few months,  we’ve seen a seemingly endless parade of bailouts from Washington — for banks, for automobiles, and just about everything else.    Today,  Congress may be voting on yet another bailout — this time for liberal media.   This afternoon, the Senate is expected to take up a proposal by Sen. Dick Durbin of Illinois which would clear the way for restoration of  measures designed to chill speech considered too conservative.” The Durbin measure is being offered as a substitute to a contrary measure by Sen. Jim DeMint of South Carolina which would bar the FCC from re-imposing the Fairness Doctrine.

Interestingly, the Durbin amendment doesn’t actually address the Fairness Doctrine itself.   Supporters of such  a direct attempt to reimpose the doctrine know that such an direct attempt to return to the speech-muzzling rules of the past would be doomed to failure.  Notably, even President Obama has declined to support such a step.   Instead, the measure would simply require the FCC to promote “diversity” in media ownership and to ensure that broadcast stations licenses are used “in the public interest.”

But who’s to say after all what constitutes proper “diversity” and what is in the “public interest?”  Would diversity be enhanced if there were less time devoted to conservative views?  Would the “public interest” be served by increasing airtime for Bill Press and Air America?

Just a few days ago the pro-regulation advocacy group Free Press issued a report entitled “The Fairness Doctrine Distraction,” outlining just such a strategy.   The problem, the group has long argued, is an imbalance in talk radio - specifically too many conservative voices.  But the solution is not the Fairness Doctrine per se.  The solution:  stricter ownership rules governing who can hold a broadcast license, stricter “localism” and other public interest requirements, and strict rules on the Internet to enforce “neutrality” there.

This is the Left’s agenda for “correcting” the “problem” of too many conservative views on the air.  Senator Durbin seems to have taken it to heart.   No one should be fooled — it’s the Fairness Doctrine under a different name.

[Delacon]

 

PETITION TO BLOCK CONGRESSIONAL
ATTACKS ON FREEDOM OF SPEECH AND PRESS

To: U.S. Congress, President of the United States, Supreme Court of the United States

Whereas, the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution clearly states: "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances";

Whereas, members of Congress are recently on record saying they want to re-impose the so-called "Fairness Doctrine" on U.S. broadcasters, or else accomplish the same goal of censoring talk radio by other means, and thereby establish government and quasi-government watchdogs as the arbiters of "fairness" rather than the free and open marketplace of ideas;

Whereas, the U.S. experimented with the so-called "Fairness Doctrine" for 38 years - from 1949 through 1987 - during which time it was repeatedly used by presidents and other political leaders to muzzle dissent and criticism;

Whereas, the abandonment of the so-called "Fairness Doctrine" in 1987, thanks to President Ronald Reagan, resulted in an unprecedented explosion of new and diverse voices and political speech - starting with Rush Limbaugh - that revitalized the AM radio band and provided Americans with a multitude of alternative viewpoints;

Whereas, talk radio is one of the most crucial components of the free press in America, and is single-handedly responsible for informing tens of millions of Americans about what their government leaders are doing;

Whereas, it is a wholly un-American idea that government should be the watchdog of the press and a policeman of speech, as opposed to the uniquely American ideal of a free people and a free press being the vigilant watchdogs of government;

Whereas, the so-called "Fairness Doctrine" - either under that name, or using a new name and even more devious methods - represents a frontal assault on the First Amendment, and its re-imposition would constitute nothing more nor less than the crippling of America's robust, unfettered, free press:

 

                                SIGN THE PETITION at http://www.wnd.com/index.php?pageId=87882

 

Freepmail me if you want to join my fairness doctrine ping list.

[Delacon]

This afternoon, the Senate is expected to take up a proposal by Sen. Dick Durbin of Illinois which would clear the way for restoration of  measures designed to chill speech considered too conservative.

[DoughtyOne]

This is one of the down sides I was concerned about, when I learned DeMint had sought to bring a bill to the floor blocking the Fairness Doctrine from being reinstated.

As I understand it, Demint’s bill was attached to something else the Democrats wanted.

Good luck when “the Turbin’s” bill comes to the floor.

[Bobalu]

[a fool in paradise]

Just what we need, nationalized media.

Is there any nation with nationalized media that doesn’t tow the socialist line?

[coydog]

Scary. Americans might be reduced to circulating underground newspapers, transmitting encrypted files and listening to clandestine radio and foreign shortwave broadcasts to get the real story... if they put up with this any longer.

[a fool in paradise]

The entirity of the Democrat “stimulus” package is to fund liberal interest groups and secure further political power. The partisan press is needed to keep people from questioning the administration.

There are a number of serious problems that need to be addressed (everything from bus drivers whining about not being able to pay for an $800,000 home to outmoded buggywhip media not responding to market forces).

ASCAP alleged that BMI got “all the hits” because of payola. In reality payola went back to the 1800s. It was in radio from the earliest days.

The real problem was that ASCAP refused to publish music that was by “race” (black) or “hillbilly” artists and certainly wasn’t going to publish rock and roll. BMI filled the void.

The government intervened as well and took control of what went on the airwaves away from the DJ. Payola is still present in the industry. And radio sucks worse than ever.

Small labels rarely get a hit anymore.

[Dilbert San Diego]

With the problems of the MSM, with newspapers especially in financial trouble, I expect the next big bailout to be gov’t subsidy of the MSM. They will claim it’s for the first amendment. Obama can come out and say how a free press is vital for a free people, yadda, yadda, yadda, and then save the newspapers so they can become a Pravda like propaganda news service.

The Rocky Mountain News is closing, so Denver is down to one newspaper now. Many other papers in other cities are threatened. I hope I’m wrong but I think they might bail out the MSM. They might even tie it into the whole debate on the fairness doctrine. They could say, well, we need to preserve diversity of opinion, etc. Then, decide to subsidize the MSM to keep them in business.

[a fool in paradise]

The MSM has committed wholesale fraud (fabrication of photos, witnesses, documents, annecdotes, quotes).

They aren’t being tuned out for being liberal friendly, they are being rejected because they are dishonest crooks.

I think that every newspaper that has been caught inflating their circulation figures should be required to print above the fold on the front page “this newspaper lies about their ciculation figures to jack up ad rates”.

[StAnDeliver]

Like the grafs.

[DoughtyOne]

I agree Dilbert.

[wastedyears]

Scary. Americans might be reduced to circulating underground newspapers, transmitting encrypted files and listening to clandestine radio and foreign shortwave broadcasts to get the real story... if they put up with this any longer.

With the way nobody was outraged at the Miller decision, America may not see another bright day for a long, long time. In today's apathetic times, there will be very few people that stand up against this false administration.

[reasonisfaith]

I’ve been waiting for this. It’s the obvious next step for the marxist cowards.