Scary!
North Korean values. Kim Il Jay has spoken. Er, the bug in Kim Il Jay has spoken...
Doesn’t Jay ROCKEFELLER have some friggin’ money to go count or something? Better he do that than ruminate about restricting free speech rights.
What a turd. West Virginia... PLEASE... put that guy out next time, OK?
Correct me if I’m wrong...
I don’t think the FCC has any control over cable.
The FCC was established to control what goes over the airwaves, because it belongs to all of us. Unregulated airwaves have the potential of being dominated by a single source or one that provides obscene content. But this does not apply to cable, which is accepted by the consumer by choice.
If I’m right, then either Sen. Rockefeller is ignorant or is asking to change the role of the FCC from an airwaves traffic cop to that of an Information Controller.
Hmm... and it’s the right wing that gets accused of censorship.
this guy has been a sitting U.S. Senator for a quarter-century, yet he displays absolutely NO knowledge of the US Constitution, or of the various laws empowering the FCC (which give it absolutely NO authority over cable or satellite program content)
http://boortz.com/nealz_nuze/2010/11/the-attack-is-stepping-up.html
If his opponent in the next election he is up for can’t ride just this one quote to a win, they are incompetent.
Ohhh.. Someone’s been reading Stalin’s manual again.
naughty, naughty.
My bet, 95% of our congesscritters have never read the Constitution.
Well, considering that both Fox News and PMS-NBC are cable channels, and not broadcast channels, it would be appropriate for the FCC to take them off the airwaves. Neither channel *is* assigned any part of the broadcast spectrum. So the only way they could be broadcasting would be through pirate stations.
So that problem is *solved* Senator. Please go back to pulling wings off of flies or whatever else you do for entertainment when not thinking up statements that illustrate why it is better to remain silent and be thought a fool than it is to open your mouth and confirm that belief.
His suggestion would fit right in with all the other federal departments.
Department of Energy - prevents exploration and development of new energy sources
Department of Education - lowers education standards every year
Department of Justice - ensures inequal application of law
Department of Labor - kills jobs
Now according to Rockerfeller the Federal Communication Commission should squelch communication.
Like I said...fits right in.
Both of MSNBC's viewers would be very upset.
Sheesh, regardless of the arena, Dims are always opposed to letting the market decide on the success of businesses. Perhaps, instead of having the campaign commercials that say, “I’m X and I approve this message.” Sen. Rockefeller could make his own ad for the news outlets which he approves. “The newcast was approved by Senator Rockefeller.”
Doesn’t sound like a “little bug” to me. Sounds like someone running a flag up a pole to see if anyone salutes.
The fascist is up in 2014. He’s got to go bye-bye.
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again. Jay Rockefeller is a complete and utter moron.
MEGoody to Rockefeller: STFU.
Well, he is half right, MSNBC needs to go! :)
Seriously, the leftist wackos have every right to broadcast their lefty propaganda and Fox News has every right to present of more fair and balanced broadcast.
Both are cable, not broadcast, outlets so even the old “public airwaves” argument for censorship does not apply.
He went on to say that the government should promote better news and entertainment (do we need a Federal Dept of Entertainment now, to make sure we are all adequately entertained?) and require cable/dish providers to provide pared down packages that are more affordable and reflect what viewers really want.
I have great news for Senator Rockefeller, a mechanism already exists to make this happen. It is called the free market. If consumers demand and flock to less expensive packages, without a bunch of stations they don’t want (like MSNBC) cable/dish providers will provide them.
The government’s only role should be to ensure that the providers don’t engage in anti-competitive behavior and price fixing. If the government simply did that, consumers would get the packages they want.
That said, I don’t think this is currently a huge problem. I have access to at least 3 different TV providers and each offers various packages at greatly varying costs. While I can’t pick and choose the exact 8, 27, 85 or 347 channels I want, but I still have a lot of options.
What next, ban option packages for cars and require ala carte menus at all restaurants?
Sure, Senator, you can come up with all kinds of rationales as to why some people shouldn’t have free speech. Lots of other people can come up with rationales, too. That’s why we have free speech.
I feel for you, Senator, that news networks make the job of occupying that Senate seat that you bought, in a State you never lived in, so much harder.
That's how I feel about the Senator's re-election ambitions.
This one statement by a senator should have been enough to cause the people to rise up. But, noooooo. Why, because almost half of the idiots in this country agree with the senator.