Posted on 12/23/2002 4:05:51 AM PST by rhema
It is high time for the Federal Communications Commission to re-institute its traditional Fairness Doctrine and guarantee equal access for all points of view over the public that is our airwaves.
The Fairness Doctrine was scrapped by the FCC in 1987 during a time when Ronald Reagan was out to get the government out of practically every facet of our lives. But the deregulation by the FCC of radio only ensured that mega-media corporations were able to gobble up more and more independently owned stations and then offer up zealots like Rush Limbaugh and what Sen. Tom Daschle, D-S.D., calls Rush wannabes on hundreds of radio stations across the country.
Soon, both local and nationally syndicated Rush wannabes began offering a daily concoction of right-wing politics to a public that largely ignored their local newspapers and relied upon the radio rants for their news.
In some cases, the vitriol came directly from the fax machines of the Republican National Committee. In other cases, the propaganda echoed that written in the Washington Times or on right-wing Internet sites like the Drudge Report, World Net Daily and News Max.
The political misuse of the commercial airwaves was what Al Gore was talking about when he recently told the New York Observer that "the media is kind of weird these days on politics, and there are some major institutional voices that are, truthfully speaking, part and parcel of the Republican Party."
Liberal alternatives cannot be found on the public commercial airwaves. A few liberals, like Jim Hightower, found an outlet on a few public radio stations, but their reach to the general public is worse than Radio Free Europe's during the days of Soviet radio jamming.
After the events of Sept. 11, it can be argued whether the right-wing hosts are actually helping to destroy America's way of life rather than claiming to protect it.
Daschle said the talk-show blatherers create "an emotional movement in this country among some people... who are then so energized as to go out and hurt somebody."
Daschle, it should be noted, was a recipient of deadly anthrax in the mail soon after Sept. 11 when the radio waves were flooded with invective tones of hate and retribution. And it does not help when a Rush wannabe in Boston refers to the soon-to-be Senate minority leader as "Dass-hole."
Rush Limbaugh may be, as Sen. John McCain claimed, a mere "circus clown," but we must recall what happened to one of America's last liberal radio talk show hosts.
In 1984, Alan Berg, who had infuriated a number of neo-Nazis, was shot to death by them in front of his Denver home.
It's not so much the Limbaughs that are the problem but the people they tend to incite to violence. The talk-show hosts who consistently call for "rounding up" foreigners are playing into the hands of many racists and xenophobes and that is what Daschle was talking about when he talked about enraged listeners going out and hurting somebody.
Democratic Sen. Richard Durbin of Illinois told National Public Radio that there is "station after station of right-wing screamers."
With Gore, Daschle and Durbin all finally aware of the misuse of the public commercial airwaves by the Republican Party and its rightist allies, the FCC's commissioners must revisit the Fairness Doctrine.
However, time is of the essence because the FCC, under the leadership of Michael Powell, the son of Secretary of State Colin Powell, is considering scrapping even more FCC regulations over OUR airwaves.
Madsen is the Washington correspondent for Intelligence Online and a political columnist for Counter Punch. Distributed by Knight Ridder News Service.
"There's just too much FREEDOM around here, I tell you, and we need the GOVERNMENT to do something about it."
Maybe the reason that there is little of left wing radio is....NOBODY WILL OR WANTS TO LISTEN TO IT. As far a freedom goes, your point is right on. Rush and his like make it perfectly clear who they are and what they believe. What the rats want is to stiffle this opinion, and only let the supposed cnnnbcabccbs present what they call "balance". Of couse it is not balanced at all, but they like to pretend that it is to "prove" they present both side. I hate "journalist" who hide behind supposed impartiality but in their heart are Marxists (see: Dan Rather). Give my an old time right wing or left winger, but just be honest about who and what you are, and let the market see who wins.
My, my, my ... such language ...
... and from a Liberaltarian too.
Ahhh, those were the days!
. . . get the government out of practically every facet of our lives.
I just had to print that again. Those words are music to my ears.
Just as soon as the FCC gives conservatives equal time on TV ...
The big problem with this is that forcing radio stations to carry liberal talk show hosts would kill talk radio. It has been proven time & again that liberals do very poorly on talk radio. There go the ratings and there go the ad revenues.
End of storythere already is equal access. No one wants to listen to liberal talk radio.
Soon, both local and nationally syndicated Rush wannabes began offering a daily concoction of right-wing politics to a public that largely ignored their local newspapers and relied upon the radio rants for their news.
I know. I hate when the peasants dont get their news from our properly sanctioned sources. </ sarcasm>
And it does not help when a Rush wannabe in Boston refers to the soon-to-be Senate minority leader as "Dass-hole."
Yeah, and the Dems would never resort to name-calling. < /sarcasm again>
I don't ignore my local newspaper. Whomever the St. Louis Compost-Dispatch endorses, I vote against. (Wait . . . that would be just . . . all the Democrats. OK, that's a lot simpler.)
Besides, I do read the sports section.
When Rush first started his program, fifteen years ago; people like you and me were astounded that there is a guy on the radio who is ALLOWED to say these things! We were like living in the USSR, and no one is allowed to say one word outside "the party line"!
Juan Williams on NPR attempted to have a leftist talk show, and he failed miserably. The numbers of liberals who feel that their views are not aired are small. Hence the failing liberal talk shows. On the other hand, if the conservatives would dominate our life, and air waves, eventually, there will be room to air the oppressed liberal views. This may take fifty years or so?
IT's interesting to note that when conservative or religious groups have complained about some show on t.v., they are told to change the channel or called censors.
Notice when liberals don't like something, it is hateful, rascist, etc and it has to go. They actually want to use the government to stop voices they don't like, and they will find a way to "prove" it's for the children.
When I think about NPR balance, I think about music stations claim to have "both types of music - Country and Western".
NPR balances their liberalism with socialism.
. . . when Ronald Reagan was out to get the government out of practically every facet of our lives.
to gobble up more
zealots like Rush Limbaugh
Rush wannabes
a daily concoction of right-wing politics
the radio rants
the vitriol
the propaganda
right-wing Internet sites
political misuse
worse than Radio Free Europe's during the days of Soviet radio jamming.
helping to destroy America's way of life rather than claiming to protect it.
the talk-show blatherers
invective tones of hate and retribution.
playing into the hands of many racists and xenophobes
"station after station of right-wing screamers."
...need some balance. Its time to enforce the "Fairness" doctrine on them.
...on right-wing Internet sites like the Drudge Report, World Net Daily and News Max.
What?!!? No FreeRepublic?
AGAINST DASCHLE???
If anything, the anthrax mailed to Daschle was a successful attempt to inspire terror in government and the media (Tom Brokaw, the National Enquirer, the New York Post) which would have the effect of intensifying scrutiny of the apologists for the attacks living in this country!
I defy the author to name one person who said that Tom Daschle should be killed because of his complicity in the September 11th attacks!
What are you smoking, duuuude?
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.