[Tamar1973]

Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) said on Tuesday that the government should revive the Fairness Doctrine, a policy crafted in 1929 that required broadcasters to balance political content with different points of view.

If this were the 1920's when each city had only ONE radio station, he might have a point but today, there are scores of radio stations in every market and people can chose to listen to whatever they want. The only reason he's upset is that liberal talk radio is so bad, liberals don't even want to listen to it!

[Congressman Billybob]

Whether you know it or not, you have just touched on why the Supreme Court's decision that upheld the power of the FCC to impose equal time on stations. That case was Red Lion and the Court's justification 50 years ago was that broadcast outlets were "scarce" compared to newspapers/

Today, of course, the opposite is true. Competing newspapers are scarce in most cities and towns. Given cable and satellite services, competing radio and TV options are a dime a dozen. Red Lion is ripe for reversal.

As for what the House did here, this will be lost in conference committee with the Senate.

Congressman Billybob

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