It looks like the good ol’ democrats are rallying the troops to push a new fairness doctrine upon radio broadcasters to silence disent from the Obama “motherland”. Senator Debbie Stabenow has this gem to say:
“I think it’s absolutely time to pass a standard. Now, whether it’s called the Fairness Standard, whether it’s called something else – I absolutely think it’s time to be bringing accountability to the airwaves. I mean, our new president has talked rightly about accountability and transparency. You know, that we all have to step up and be responsible. And, I think in this case, there needs to be some accountability and standards put in place.”
God forbid we practice free speech and capialism in this country. Oh wait, capitalism has already gone away with the nationalization of our banks, guess it’s time to piss all over the 1st Amendment also. Ms. Stabenow was asked whether we would see hearings this year in regards to the “fairness” doctrine and answered, “I have already had some discussions with colleagues and, you know, I feel like that’s gonna happen. Yep.”
It’s a shame when legislators can’t sit back and allow the free market to regulate it’s self. What’s the big deal anyways about talk radio? Is it the fact that the “progressive” radio stations fail, NPR for instance, or is it the fact that conservative talk radio stations profit from producing an enteraining show that listeners follow? Apparently according to a 2007 report “”The Structural Imbalance of Political Talk Radio,” the problem is as follows:
Our conclusion is that the gap between conservative and progressive talk radio is the result of multiple structural problems in the U.S. regulatory system, particularly the complete breakdown of the public trustee concept of broadcast, the elimination of clear public interest requirements for broadcasting, and the relaxation of ownership rules including the requirement of local participation in management.”
Keep in mind these are not public broadcasting stations that host the “right wing radio”, they’re private coorporations.
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