FCC Chair: Fairness Doctrine Not Needed

Breitbart ^

[edzo4]

WASHINGTON (AP) - The Federal Communications Commission has no intention of reinstating the Fairness Doctrine imposing a requirement of balanced coverage of issues on public airwaves, FCC Chairman Kevin Martin said. Martin, in a letter written this week to Rep. Mike Pence, R-Ind., and made public Thursday, said the agency found no compelling reason to revisit its 1987 decision that enforcing the federal rule was not in the public interest.

Several Democratic lawmakers suggested that Congress take another look at the doctrine after conservative radio talk show hosts aggressively attacked an immigration reform bill when it was on the Senate floor, contributing to its defeat.

Pence and other Republicans in both the House and Senate countered by introducing legislation to bar the FCC from reinstating the rule.

Under the doctrine, first instituted in the late 1940s, broadcasters could lose their licenses if they failed to give free airtime to opposing sides on controversial issues.

Martin, in his letter, said government regulation was not needed to ensure public access to a wide range of opinion. "Indeed, with the continued proliferation of additional sources of information and programming, including satellite broadcasting and the Internet, the need for the Fairness Doctrine has lessened even further since 1987," he wrote.

Pence, in a joint statement with Rep. Greg Walden, R-Ore., welcomed Martin's position but said Congress should still pass his legislation so that no future administration or FCC chairman could revive the doctrine without an act of Congress.

[Arrowhead1952]

??? how did you post that without a title?

[P-40]

Well...that is too bad. I was looking forward to hearing Michael Savage and Rush Limbaugh get their equal time on Air America. :)

[edzo4]

I was looking forward to Rush on the cbs evening news...

[AnotherUnixGeek]

The Federal Communications Commission has no intention of reinstating the Fairness Doctrine imposing a requirement of balanced coverage of issues on public airwaves, FCC Chairman Kevin Martin said.

Along with Martin's statements regarding open access requirements for the 700 MHz spectrum auction, this represents an unusual triumph for individuals instead of politicians or telcos in the FCC's decision making.

[Col Freeper]

Pence, in a joint statement with Rep. Greg Walden, R-Ore., welcomed Martin's position but said Congress should still pass his legislation so that no future administration or FCC chairman could revive the doctrine without an act of Congress.

I hope Pence makes his legislation also state "without a super-majority vote in Congress."

[SunStar]

Several Democratic lawmakers suggested that Congress take another look at the doctrine after conservative radio talk show hosts aggressively attacked an immigration reform bill when it was on the Senate floor, contributing to its defeat.

Aww... Poor Democrats. How dare private citizens challenge their authority using Constitutionally-protected speech!!!!!

[edzo4]

I love that the dims think that the talk show hosts created the issue, instead of the fact that the listners were the ones that were overwhelmingly against it
no wonder liberal radio fails

[SunkenCiv]

Google Shuts Down Anti-Obama Sites on its Blogger Platform
Publius’ Forum | 6/29/08 | Warner Todd Huston
Posted on 06/29/2008 1:53:36 PM PDT by Mobile Vulgus
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2038256/posts
http://www.freerepublic.com/tag/fairnessdoctrine/index