I long for the day when Hate Radio no longer pollutes my airwaves

[BushOut06]

There are a couple of AM stations here in Orlando, where you can't tune in from sunrise to sundown without hearing hate-filled speech. Whether it's national hatemongers like Slimebaugh or the local religious Taliban (Bud Hedinger), it's polluting our airwaves. They spew their hatred towards homosexuals, minorities, Muslims, women, athiests, liberals, and anyone else they can demonize. Even scarier than the hosts are the callers. These are the people who we have to work with, bump into in the local grocery store, etc. These are people who refuse to think for themselves, who couldn't defend a single conservative program without having their RW talk show notes to refer to. Listening to some of the callers truly frightens me, and makes me glad that we don't live in a true democracy - I shudder to think what they would do if they could.

I would love nothing more than to see Hate-radio become extinct. I don't care what they put in its place. Even radio silence would be better. It's time to break the spell. Imagine if millions of people suddenly had to start thinking for themselves. I wonder how many of them would wake up out of their stupor, and wonder how in the hell they had been duped for so long?

[scrinmaster]

1. Whenever I hear something on the radio I don't like, I just change the station.

[BushOut06]

2. It's creating an atmosphere of hatred

Courts have already ruled that you can go after organizations that create an atmosphere of hatred that leads to crimes like murder. That's pretty much how we've been able to finally go after groups like the Aryan Nations, KKK, and other hate groups. People like Hannity and Savage are constantly telling their listeners how liberals are traitors, and dangerous to this country. How long before some deranged Hannity listener decides to take matters into his own hands? How many more Timothy McVeighs do we need?

[madokie]

8. if I remember right they came in with the raygun regime

literally

[Rage for Order]

12. Similarly, I've heard plenty of people say...

how conservatives are traitors and dangerous to this country. How long before some deranged message board member decides to take matters into his own hands? How many more John Hinckleys or Lee Harvey Oswalds do we need?

The Fairness Doctrine might have been useful prior to cable, satellite, and the internet, when the only places to get information were 3 TV networks, radio, and print media, but with the advent of modern media there is a plethora of information available to anyone who wants to find it, all with the click of a mouse.

Whenever I hear someone talk of silencing their opposition it reminds me of Rev. Donald Wildmon's campaign to rid the airwaves of any content that he deemed immoral or improper. I am also reminded of George Carlin's response to Wildmon: "Reverend, if you don't like what you hear on the radio, change the fu**ing station!".

[Buzz Clik]

3. Are the left-wing screed merchants that different?

None are being paid the big $$$ that the bloated pig receives, but the evilness of the message is similar.

[BushOut06]

4. I don't get a chance to listen to any left-wing hosts in Orlando

There just aren't any - which is part of the problem.

[Buzz Clik]

16. Hm. I would agree.

I also agree with your original premise -- getting rid of hate radio would be a step in the right direction, as long as it is a market reaction and not some sort of gubmint dictum.

[spoony]

5. You prefer silence to speech?

[City67]

6. So lets reverse the roles here

and if it were progressive talk radio that was wildly popular how would you feel about conservative politicians making roundabout attacks on your freedom of speech? I agree with Scrinmaster, just change the station if it is something you don't want to hear.

I can understand the thinking behind the Fairness Doctrine in trying to keep the airwaves that are owned by the people from becoming nothing but mouthpieces for any single group of people. But what does the other side say about print and television being predominantly liberal? How about NPR and PBS? Should they all also be forbidden from ever having any sort of opinion?

Imagine every time that Maher or Olberman did an opinion piece if they had to give Limbaugh or Hannity the exact same amount of air time? Thats the way it was when I was younger and well frankly it made for damned boring television and radio.

You always have to be careful what you wish for as you just might get it. And rest assured that if it can be used against you the other side will find a way to do so.

[Retired AF Dem]

10. Damn

The best post I have read in a long time on DU. I'm for freedom on speech no matter where it comes from. If I dont like the message I change the channel.

[City67]

15. Thanks

I am also an Air Force veteran myself. :-)

"Libertatem Defendimus"

(unofficial USAF motto)

[Ezlivin]

17. Solution: Play the station backwards - put backward masking to work for you

Then it will say what you'd like to hear.

All kidding aside, I just avoid the stations. I create my own playlists and enjoy them. Nothing quite so soothing as some heavy metal to calm the jangled nerves.

[KharmaTrain]

11. The Fairness Doctrine Never Pertained To Talk Radio

Thinkprogress had a great post on this topic the other day...

http://thinkprogress.org/2007/06/21/fairness-doctrine/

What needs to be done is to revisit the '96 Telcom Bill (which had original been required in 2002) and restore preferences to local ownership and diversity in who owns broadcast licenses. The ability for one company to control thousands of radio stations, dozens of TV signals and several major cable outlets has a lot to do with the limited sources of information and opinion.

Welcome to DU

:toast:

[City67]

14. Thanks for the welcome but...

I have been here a year and a half. I just tend to read more than post.

Thats an interesting piece at Think Progressive (one of the blogs I read almost daily) but I think they're wrong. At least in the sense that maybe the Fairness Doctrine doesnt apply to talk radio as there are many activists and politicians that seem to think it does. And worse they are willing to run roughshod over all our rights just to silence their critics.

I will probably be called names but I dont believe in legaslative "fixes" for problems that are better solved by the market. Back in the '80's our politicians were concerned about declining American market share of US made autos. So they set quotas on Japanese auto imports. Well when the Japanese auto makers only had so many they could send of course they sent the best selling models loaded with all the options as that is what they made the most profit on. Then the car lots would add a further premium to each car as there was more demand than cars available.

To make an already long story somewhat shorter the net effect was the exact opposite of what the politicians had intended. People were buying more imports, they were just having to wait longer to get them and the Japanese car companies were actuallt making more money. Plus the US auto makers still werent selling any more cars. And that happens all too often when you try to apply a legislative bandaid to a market problem. The problem was the quality of American made cars sucked and people werent willing to pay for poor craftsmanship when they could get better at the same price if they bought imports.

Politicians are in the position of having a hammer as their only tool so naturally every problem looks like a nail to them.

[KharmaTrain]

18. The Issue Is The Marketplace...Telcom '96

I worked with the Fairness Doctrine and it had nothing to do with the content of the talk shows the station I was programming aired. But one important factor was that our station was owned and operated locally...we had a vested interest in programming that served the community and through that we gained credibiity and profits. That's not the model radio operates under now.

Dereg has made most small stations...the ones that air right wing hate radio...into nothing but water carriers for their corporate owners. They're more interested in "coverage" and bulk sales and operations than to invest or compete locally. The rise of hate radio came through the consolidation of the airwaves...fewer owners with a far different agenda than the previous owners. Local ownership, minority ownership...diversity was replaced with bare-bones conformity...radio that was intended to sell itself...not rely on anything but its corporate power to dominate and control.

I've long called for the long required review of the '96 Telcom Bill...one of the greatest disasters to broadcasting. It's bankrupted radio and created the non-competitive marketplace that has prevented networks like Air America from expanding or from local owners being able to afford and obtain license and create more voices, more diversity, more service.

I don't believe in regulating content...but I do believe in a fair marketplace...and that's where re-regulation is long overdue.

Cheers...

[Recovered Repug]

7. If we don't believe in freedom of expression for people we despise,

we don't believe in it at all.

[John Kerry VonErich]

13. Exactly

The OP is dealing with a double edged sword. Remember, the other side says the same thing about Air America.

[madokie]

9. its amazing what can be reveled by longing

[BlooInBloo]

19. That requires there being no Hate People polluting our country.