House Republicans unveil new bill to ban resurrection of Fairness Doctrine

[babylonsister]

House Republicans unveil new bill to ban resurrection of Fairness Doctrine
By Sara Jerome - 02/11/11 02:17 PM ET


House Republicans have begun a new effort to make sure the Fairness Doctrine stays dead.

Rep. Mike Pence (R-Ind.) has introduced a bill to prevent the Federal Communications Commission from reviving the policy, a controversial and defunct standard that required broadcast licensees to offer "balanced" coverage. Critics saw it as an affront to free speech.

Pence is joined on the bill by dozens of other Republicans, including various members of the Energy and Commerce Committee. Communications subcommittee Chairman Greg Walden (Ore.), who oversees the FCC, has signed onto the bill.

The bill also has Democratic support, with Rep. John Yarmuth (D-Ky.) getting on board. Other Energy and Commerce members include Communications vice chairman Reps. Lee Terry (R-Neb.) and Reps. Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.), Mary Bono Mack (R-Calif.), Joe Barton (R-Texas), and Cliff Stearns (R-Fla.), among others.

more...

http://thehill.com/blogs/hillicon-valley/technology/143555-house-republicans-beat-back-fairness-doctrine

[shraby]

1. Isn't that bill also an affront to free speech?

[badtoworse]

2. How so?

[shraby]

7. Keeping the opposing viewpoints from being discussed.

[badtoworse]

8. It's not a first amendment issue and that was not the purpose of the original Fairness Doctrine

The 1st Amendment says your right to free speech can not be infringed. It does not guarantee you access to any particular media - it's up to you to arrange that.

The Fairness Doctrine was instituted when only AM radio and VHF television stations existed and very few broadcast licenses could be issued in any particular market. With such limited broadcast facilities available and many viewpoints desirous of access to the airwaves, the Fairness Doctrine was instituted. It required holders of broadcast licenses to grant access to all sides of a political issue. IIRC, the Fairness Doctrine was eliminated in the Reagan Administration because it was belelieved there was no longer any need for it. Cable TV and FM radio had become widely available and substantially more broadcast licenses could be issued. The belief was that with so much more broadcast capacity, opposing viewpoints would have access to their own broadcast facilities. By that reasoning, there is substantially less need for it today, since we've added satellite TV and radio, HD radio, the internet and TV from the phone companies. The broadcast facilities available today virtually unlimited.

[cilla4progress]

3. Anything that would help the people,

anything that would be fair - they are against it. How can anyone support them? Most don't even believe in evolution. They are ignorant, evil, and vile.

[savalez]

4. Another go-nowhere bill?

They flat out lied about creating jobs.

[hootinholler]

5. A license to lie under cover of 'news' n/t

[pacalo]

6. They don't want their disinformation debunked on tv because it would make them look, well...

like liars.