Fairness Doctrine shake up religious and talk radio

[flashl]

RELIGION NEWS SERVICE

Published: August 9, 2008

WASHINGTON

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi is making Christian broadcasters nervous.

Pelosi, D-Calif., said recently that she supports resurrecting the Fairness Doctrine, a 1949 Federal Communications Commission policy that required broadcasters who sent out specific messages to set aside time for opposing views.

Such a move would "really make it impossible to preach the whole counsel of God," said Rich Bott, the owner of Bott Radio Network in Kansas, which broadcasts Christian programming across 10 states.

It also, he said, would likely put him out of business.

Put in place nearly 50 years ago, the doctrine was an FCC regulation that policed the airwaves at a time when there were few other sources of information. It never carried the full weight of the law. By the 1980s, with the advent of cable television and multiple opportunities to air differing opinions, the policy fell out of favor and was finally ditched by the FCC in 1987.

Although Pelosi hasn't offered legislation to reinstate the policy, she has signaled that she supports its revival, and said that a bill introduced by Rep. Mike Spence, R-Ind., to permanently kill it will not be considered by the Democratic-controlled House.

If the Fairness Doctrine were to be reinstated by Congress, broadcasters would be legally forced to follow the old protocol -- one-third of the airtime given to one opinion must be offered free of charge to opponents.

[TooBigaTent]

1. The monopoly the right wingers have in the media is slightly threatened and they

go apeshit.

On any kind of even playing field, the fascists would lose.

[nc4bo]

2. We all know when the FD was trashed and we all know the reason why too

It's a little late to complain about it now dear Nancy. Really.

[Warpy]

3. Gotta love those knee jerk televangelists!

I grew up when the Fairness Doctrine was in force, and I never saw a third of the Sunday morning lineup of fulminating preachers devoted to a fulminating atheist.

However, it might be enough to discourage the pompadour squad from playing politics.

[AndyA]

4. The media today is so off balance.

The right wingers have O'Lielly, Insanity, Beck, Dr. Laura, Limpballs, and most network anchors and reporters, it seems.

We have Keith Olbermann and Air America.

I would say the right wingers control 95% of what American sees and hears on a daily basis. That isn't fair, balanced, or complete. It's propaganda.

This may be one of the few things I agree with Pelosi on. The Fairness Doctrine needs to be reinstated and updated for today's world.

The right wingers are against it because they know all their lies and bullshit will be revealed. I think we must have this to prevent the media blackout of stories in the future like we've had in the past. This is one of the main reasons Bushco has been able to get away with so much: America isn't hearing about it on the news or on their talk shows, because the Republicans have interests in charge of those venues.

Had America heard about the Downing Street Memo(s) when it happened, chances are Bush would have been impeached by now. But of course, we'll never know because Main Street America still doesn't know about it. :(