Salon: Making American Forces Radio fair and balanced

[kskiska]

As Rush Limbaugh cries foul, the Senate moves toward loosening the right-wing propagandist's stranglehold on the military's airwaves.

By Eric Boehlert

Service men and women around the world who tune in to American Forces Radio may soon be hearing a more balanced mix of political commentary -- and not exclusively the partisan rants of Rush Limbaugh. A Senate amendment introduced by Sen. Tom Harkin, D-Iowa -- passed unanimously earlier this month and attached to the pending defense appropriations bill -- calls on the Pentagon to ensure fairness and balance on the AFR network. Currently, Limbaugh's program is the only long-form political talk show broadcast daily to the nearly 1 million U.S. troops who listen to American Forces Radio in 177 countries.

"Liberals, moderates and independents contribute to funding for American Forces Radio through payment of their taxes, just like conservatives do," noted Harkin in his Congressional Record statement about the amendment. "There is no reason that American service members should receive lengthy right-wing commentaries with regularity on American Forces Radio's talk service, without some balance from competing views as part of that same service." Harkin is urging American Forces Radio to find room for a long-form liberal commentator.

Limbaugh has attacked Harkin's amendment, saying that it's akin to censorship. But in a peculiar twist, Limbaugh told listeners on his June 18 show a self-aggrandizing tale about how a senior Republican senator had stepped in on his behalf and helped scuttle Harkin's proposal -- an account the senator's office flatly denies.

(snip)

After the July 4 congressional recess, Harkin is set to meet with Pentagon officials to discuss his broadcast concerns. His spokeswoman says preliminary talks with American Forces Radio have been "very friendly," with officials expressing a willingness to resolve the issue. Perhaps the network will soon make room for a liberal voice.

more…
http://salon.com/news/feature/2004/06/24/forces_radio/index.html

[HawkerHurricane]

1. Let me see if I have this straight...

Rush calls it 'censorship' when someone other than him is allowed to talk to the troops politically? What would he call it if he were banned outright?

"Fair and Balanced" - A Republican/Conservative codephrase, meaning "any news that doesn't have any political meaning is transmitted as is. Any news that does have political content must have a Republican on to spin it."

[kaitykaity]

2. Was going to post this,

so I thought I'd give it a kick.

:kick:

Love the Limbaugh whine. Hey, Randi was on after Rush
in Palm Beach, maybe they can put an hour of her on after
Rush.

She's former military, after all.

:evilgrin: