Senator to Force Vote on Bill Banning Fairness Doctrine

Sen. Jim DeMint plans to introduce amendment on D.C. Voting Rights bill to prevent FCC from censoring talk radio.

By Jeff Poor
Business & Media Institute
2/19/2009 6:55:02 PM



Although a spokesman for President Barack Obama said the administration wouldn’t pursue the revival of the Fairness Doctrine, Republican Sen. Jim DeMint, S.C., wants Senate Democrats to go on the record one way or another on the issue.



DeMint, chairman of t… Continue

OPINION
FEBRUARY 20, 2009, 12:21 A.M. ET
Mr. President, Keep the Airwaves Free
As a former law professor, surely you understand the Bill of Rights.
Article

By RUSH LIMBAUGH

Dear President Obama:

I have a straightforward question, which I hope you will answer in a straightforward way: Is it your intention to censor talk radio through a variety of contrivances, such as "local content," "diversity of ownership," and "public interest" rules -- all of which are designed to appeal to populist senti… Continue

White House: Obama Opposes 'Fairness Doctrine' Revival
A White House spokesman tells FOXNews.com President Obama opposes any move to bring back the so-called Fairness Doctrine.

FOXNews.com

Wednesday, February 18, 2009

President Obama opposes any move to bring back the so-called Fairness Doctrine, a spokesman told FOXNews.com Wednesday.

The statement is the first definitive stance the administration has taken since an aide told an industry publication last summer that Obama opposes the doctri… Continue

February 12, 2009

Clinton wants 'more balance' on airwaves

Even though no member of Congress has scheduled hearings on the Fairness Doctrine, it remains on a hot topic on both liberal and conservative shows.

Today, radio host Mario Solis Marich asked former President Bill Clinton if it was time for "some type of enforced media accountability."

"Well, you either ought to have the Fairness Doctrine or we ought to have more balance on the other side," Clinton said, "because essentially there's… Continue

February 11, 2009
Categories: Talk Radio

Sen. Harkin: 'We need the Fairness Doctrine back'


Just this morning, I reported that Sen. Debbie Stabenow has backed off on the idea of holding hearings for radio accountability, something she discussed last week with liberal radio host Bill Press (leading to an uproar on conservative talk radio over the Fairness Doctrine).

Well today, Sen. Tom Harkin appeared on Press's show and came out in favor of the Fairness Doctrine.

BILL PRESS: And, thanks for… Continue

Citing Obama Opposition, McDowell Warns Against Fairness Doctrine
Reimposition Could Undermine Kids TV Regulations, Public Radio
John Eggerton -- Multichannel News, 1/28/2009 3:27:00 PM MT

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
FCC commissioner Robert McDowell had a message for Democrats, or anyone else contemplating trying to reimpose the fairness doctrine: The move could undermine the justification for existing localism and children's TV regulations,… Continue

Vote to End Fairness Doctrine Not in Works, Hoyer Says
Thursday, January 08, 2009
By Josiah Ryan, Staff Writer

House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-Md.) (Photo courtesy of Hoyer's Web site)

(CNSNews.com) - The House Democratic leadership, which controls the legislative schedule, currently has no plans to bring the Broadcaster Freedom Act – which would permanently ban the Fairness Doctrine – up for a vote,… Continue

Misunderstanding the 'Fairness Doctrine'

Joseph Farah
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Posted: January 10, 2009
1:00 am Eastern

© 2009

I'm truly surprised and disappointed in the number of e-mails I get from people who actually believe that the reinstitution of the so-called "Fairness Doctrine" will somehow prove to be a good thing.

Here's one example that kind of summarizes these disturbing comments and misunderstandings of the way this propos… Continue

1-9-09
Good News: Republicans Take a Stand for Talk Radio



Republican lawmakers in the U.S. House and U.S. Senate have reintroduced the Broadcaster Freedom Act, which would prohibit the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) from reinstating the so-called Fairness Doctrine.

Congressional Democrats have threatened to reinstate the doctrine, which was put in place by the FCC in 1949 to force the nation’s TV and radio broadcasters to provide "balance" on controversial issues. It was dropped as… Continue

Op-Ed Columnist
The Dreaded Fairness Doctrine

By GAIL COLLINS
Published: December 13, 2008

Researchers recently announced the results of a study about dogs and fairness that sheds new light on the auto industry bailout debate.


Trust me. There’s going to be a connection. But first, the scientific news: Folks at the University of Vienna conducted a test in which dogs were asked to shake hands over and over and over again. If you have any experience with dogs, you will not be surprised t… Continue

Wicker Says Fairness Doctrine Far from Fair

Washington, D.C.
Posted: 11:32 AM Dec 26, 2008

Reporter: Commentary/Opinion by Sen. Roger Wicker

U.S. Sen. Roger Wicker, Mississippi Republican, wrote about his recent discussion of the "Fairness Doctrine". His article appears below.

Leading members of the Democratic congressional majority are attempting to silence talk radio by resurrecting the so-called “Fairness Doctrine.” Contrary to its name, this arcane regulation would limit free spee… Continue

DECEMBER 22, 2008
Limbaugh Is Right on the Fairness Doctrine
Liberals don't need equal-time rules to compete.Article


By JON SINTON

Conservative talk radio has worked itself into a tizzy lately over the rumored revival of the Fairness Doctrine -- the FCC policy that sought to enforce balanced discussion on the nation's airwaves.

As the founding president of Air America Radio, I believe that for the last eight years Rush Limbaugh and his ilk have been cheerleaders for everything wrong with our… Continue

Ministries fear restrictions under Obama administration
Associated Press - 12/20/2008 5:10:00 AM

Christian ministries are bracing for what they fear will be restrictions on religious liberty once Barack Obama is sworn in as president.



Kelly Shackelford, president of the Liberty Legal Institute, says Congress could move quickly to outlaw discrimination in hiring based on sexual orientation, even if a school or ministry teaches that homosexuality is sinful.

He says ministries also fear… Continue

Joe Konopka
Published: Sunday, December 21, 2008

Critics of Fairness Doctrine column weren't playing – or writing – fair

People differ in the way they react to an idea they don't like. Some use intimidating language to silence it. Others employ a well-fashioned argument, creating verbal smoke with which to obscure it. However, if the idea is viable, neither effort can succeed, but much can be learned from the attempts.

Both reactions were among responses to my column on the possibility of Con… Continue

FAIRNESS DOCTRINE
Talk-radio industry fears fairness law could silence them

Some talk radio fans fear Democrats are ready to reimpose the Fairness Doctrine, which mandates ideological balance. BY GLENN GARVIN ggarvin@MiamiHerald.com

OK, dittoheads, that's my explanation of how all these bailouts are going to lead to a government takeover of the American economy that will bankrupt us all. And now I'm going to hand my microphone over to those fine young folks from Air America for the next two ho… Continue

It's time to reinstate the Fairness Doctrine
By Roger Owens • December 19, 2008

The broadcast industry was regulated for several decades. Part of the regulation required broadcasters to air contrasting viewpoints on controversial issues, called the Fairness Doctrine.

Regulation began in 1927, through the Federal Radio Commission (FRC), changed to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) in 1934. The Fairness Doctrine survived until 1987, when the Reagan administration abolished it, t… Continue

Boehner Voices Concern Over Eshoo's Fairness Doctrine CommentsEshoo says she will push for its reimposition

By John Eggerton -- Broadcasting & Cable, 12/16/2008 6:04:00 PM

House Minority Leader John Boehner (R-OH), said Tuesday he is concerned about Rep. Anne Eshoo's statements to the Palo Alto Daily Post that she will push for reimposition of the Fairness Doctrine.

Boehner called on President-elect Barack Obama to speak out against any congressional effort to "limit free speech."… Continue

House minority leader calls on Obama to speak out against Fairness Doctrine
NAB SmartBrief | 12/17/2008

President-elect Barack Obama has said on several occasions that he has no plans to revive the Fairness Doctrine. But House Minority Leader John Boehner, R-Ohio, in response to a reported pledge by U.S. Rep. Anne Eshoo, D-Calif., to try to bring back the policy, is calling on Obama to take an even stronger stance against it. "I'm troubled by Rep. Eshoo's comments, and my hope is that Pr… Continue

Free and varied broadcast speech should be the goal of Obama's FCC

Barack Obama should appoint a more pro-consumer head of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), which should restrict media consolidation and resist the call to impose the Fairness Doctrine.

Seattle Times editorial

BARACK Obama should appoint a chairman for the Federal Communications Commission who supports free political speech, a diversity of media voices and an unblocked Internet.

In the first respect, the agency has… Continue

The Dreaded Fairness Doctrine

By GAIL COLLINS
Published: December 13, 2008

Researchers recently announced the results of a study about dogs and fairness that sheds new light on the auto industry bailout debate.

Trust me. There’s going to be a connection. But first, the scientific news: Folks at the University of Vienna conducted a test in which dogs were asked to shake hands over and over and over again. If you have any experience with dogs, you will not be surprised to hear that they… Continue