FCC Chief: We're Not Going to Police Your Newsroom

The National Journal ^ | Friday, February 21, 2013 | Laura Ryan

[kristinn]

The head of the Federal Communications Commission is trying to douse Republican accusations that his agency is trying to covertly police the editorial decisions of TV news.

In a letter to senior House Republicans released Thursday, FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler said the agency "has no intention of regulating political or other speech of journalists or broadcasters."

Republicans have picked at an FCC study introduced last spring on "critical information needs" that is intended to examine barriers of entry into the news media industry for small businesses. The study's inquiry included questions such as: "What is the news philosophy of the station?" and "Who decides which stories are covered?"

The FCC is required by law to conduct such research studies, but the commission's critics say this one was an initial foray into an effort to regulate newsrooms' editorial decisions.

Link to PDF of FCC letter.

[Verginius Rufus]

FCC Chief: We're Not Going to Police Your Newsroom

"Never believe anything until it has been officially denied."

[familyop]

Well said! Besides, that way, the commie sponsors would no longer have to pay for the same content.

[Wallace T.]

In the first couple of years, communist governments may allow for a token opposition to maintain a facade of democracy. During the dictatorship of Lenin, monarchists were immediately suppressed. As the Bolsheviks defeated the White forces, they cracked down on anarchists, social democrats, extreme leftists (equivalent to the Levellers in Cromwell's England), and liberals (in the Lockean and Jeffersonian sense). On the religious front, they immediately attacked the Russian Orthodox Church, then later turned their guns on the minority religions that were not pillars of the old regime but still represented dissenting thought.

Mao, Castro, and the dictators that dominated Eastern Europe after World War II followed similar patterns: deal with your primary enemies first, then go after dissenters of any sort. The one difference is that Obama will go away in three years. However, the ruling elite will have another talking head: Hillary Clinton or John Kerry if they feel a less extreme politician will work to keep the middle of the road and low information voters sedated; Bill de Blasio or Elizabeth Warren if they want an openly radical spokesperson to rouse the rabble. Their strategy is to neutralize the broadcast media first, like Fox and conservative talk radio, then work their way through non-leftist media of any sort. Then they will openly attack the churches, first the evangelical denominations and the Catholic Church, then other religions.

[ilovesarah2012]

The only outlet reporting this that I have seen is Fox. Has anyone seen it anywhere else?

[GeronL]

In 1956 the Communist Party of China encouraged the people to express their feelings of the communists openly.

“The policy of letting a hundred flowers bloom and a hundred schools of thought contend is designed to promote the flourishing of the arts and the progress of science.” - Mao

After this brief period of liberalization, Mao abruptly changed course. The crackdown continued through 1957 as an Anti-Rightist Campaign against those who were critical of the regime and its ideology. Those targeted were publicly criticized and condemned to prison labor camps. Mao remarked at the time that he had “enticed the snakes out of their caves.”

[righttackle44]

Nooooo, “police” would imply lawful action....

Unh-unh. No. Nada. It is not legal for police officers to simply shoot people and animals to death.

[Doogle]

...the “other” news source are nothing but bootlickers

[null and void]

Nahhh, 'sok if he or she feels threatened.

From behind.

[Brooklyn Attitude]

“Why would the government want to “police” its commie sponsors?”

Its very simple, strengthen the already vise like grip they have on the MSM and eliminate opposing voices. Remember the MSM is already on their side but in the event of a major unconstitutional violation they would have a way of enforcing compliance. They are strengthening the ministry of propaganda.

[TurboZamboni]

Maybe this should be the theme song for democrat FCC kommissars?

Hear the children, don’t turn around, oh oh
Der Kommissar’s in town, oh oh
He’s got the power and you’re so weak
And you’re frustration will not let you speak

Don’t turn around, oh oh
Der Kommissar’s in town, oh oh
And if he talks to you then you’ll know why
The more you live, the faster you will die

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_w4Xulsjo5I

[ozdragon]

Set up cameras in the newsroom with audio. Tape everyone (Government that enters and all they say.
Get the names of every government employee and Google search their home addresses and phone numbers.
All in the name of security.
Then broadcast their pictures, names, home numbers and addresses.

[catnipman]

“FCC Chief: We’re Not Going to Police Your Newsroom”

“If you like your doctor, you can keep your doctor. If you like your plan, you can keep your plan. Period.”

“If you like your newsroom, you can keep your newsroom. If you like freedom of press, you can keep your freedom of press. Period.”

[mykroar]

“Never believe anything until it has been officially denied.”—Otto von Bismarck

[jda]

. . . "the agency "has no intention of regulating political or other speech of journalists or broadcasters."

Yes, from the same regime that told us:

- if you like your healthcare, you can keep it.
- if you like your doctor, you can keep him/her.
- the average family will pay $2500 per year less.
- the IRS did not target conservatives.
- we did everything possible to save our people in Benghazi.
- the NSA is not spying on US citizens.

It's a frightening situation when your government lies to you so much.

It's even more frightening when something like 40% of the population likes being lied to.

[skinkinthegrass]

!

[minnesota_bound]

I think at that time obama and the democrats would find that 200 million + guns in the hands of Americans right now will be used against the democrat party members.

[OneWingedShark]

I think at that time obama and the democrats would find that 200 million + guns in the hands of Americans right now will be used against the democrat party members.

Do you think so? Why?
Remember that the communications would be initially cut, perhaps even in-sync with the power, and those could be [rather easily] blamed on terrorism;
After all, how better to incite terror than cutting power and comms to a mid-size to largish city? Wouldn't that be an effective way to instill a panic?

[Vaduz]

The regimes idea of normalized is something one must keep an eye n at all times.

[OneWingedShark]

The regime's idea of normalized is something one must keep an eye on at all times.

I suspect it's the normalized used here:
Interview with Yuri Bezmenov

[Vaduz]

It looks like we are in the #2 mode now and the next three years depends on how the next election turns out.