The “Fairness Doctrine” is a Fraud! The imposition of that rule/law will play havoc with the broadcasting Industry in the US today. Then... they'll come after the citizen journalists on the Internet!
First... the Fairness Doctrine for Broadcasters… and then… the Internet! Bet on it!
Just a few years afterthe Second World War, the Government yoked the broadcast Industry, in the USA, with the insufferably heavy burden of the so-called “Fairness Doctrine”. (Note: the Fairness Doctrine lasted from 1949 to 1987.) To maintain your license, as a broadcaster, if you put anything on the air, which was controversial, you absolutely had to put on the “other side” of the issue. The “Other Side”, in the real world, comes in multiples of more than two… believe me on this!
Many AM broadcast stations only have “x”-number of hours they can broadcast in a single day. Now, if one must air the “other side” of the controversial subject that station decides to put on its air, much of the day is spent. And, folks, I have to tell you, the most difficult programming to sell, for any broadcaster, is the so-called “Public Affairs” programs. Why? Because, hardly anybody listens to that type of program. Listeners stay away in droves! If a broadcaster, not supported by the government (that is to say, your tax money), relies upon sales of commercial time to exist… then the Fairness Doctrine will play havoc with that stations revenue. Broadcasting, as with any other business, MUST make money; it MUST make a profit, or perish! Broadcasters know that Conservative programming sells and Liberal programming does not sell! That is a fact of life in the US.
So, what did broadcaster do from 1949 to 1987? They aired as little Public Affairs programs as they could and still hold their licenses. Public Affairs programming was aired in the wee hours of the morning, or during the early morning hours of Sunday morning when broadcast stations traditionally have the lowest volume of listeners of the entire broadcast week. It was a juggling act.
In the late 1980’s the Fairness Doctrine was rescinded. AM broadcast stations, which had been hanging on by the skin of their teeth, suddenly found that people would listen to conservative talk radio programs. Those stations grabbed that life preserver with all their might and “Talk Radio” took off… and saved the AM Broadcast Industry in America.
There was a problem, however. Listeners would listen to right wing, or conservative, talk radio. But, when a station placed a left wing, or liberal talk show on, the listeners tuned out. Any period of time, in a broadcast station’s day, which has no listeners cannot be sold. So, broadcaster dropped those left-wing shows like hot potatoes!
The AM broadcast market was reborn!
However, the problem with liberal talk shows irks the living daylights out of the left wing politicos in America and they have been on a slow burn since the late 80’s. They have been waiting for an opportunity to re-impose the Fairness Doctrine… not to balance the programming of broadcast stations, as they claim, but to force the AM Market, especially, to drop the right wing talk shows. And it WILL work.
In order for the stations to continue to air such shows as Rush Limbaugh, they will be required, by law, to put on left wing shows which will cost them listeners and money, and… reduce their income. So, the stations will be forced to remove the right wing talk shows to stay within the law… THAT is the “Fairness Doctrine”.
That’s what the re-imposition of the Fairness Doctrine is all about. Not to get more left wing, liberal, talk radio shows on the air… but to get the already existing right wing, conservative, talk shows OFF THE AIR! And… it WILL work!
How do I know? I spent a 30-year broadcasting career having to find ways to work around that hated requirement in order to stay within the law. It was a miserable way to do business.
Selwyn Duke, over at The American Thinker, has an excellent piece on this subject. We recommend you take the time to read it at:
http://www.americanthinker.com/2007/01/the_barker_and_the_shill_the_f.html
The Democrats never change. It’s always the “same song next verse”. And that’s what we have here. They’re going to force this piece of legislation on the nation’s broadcasters and the American public. You see, they must! It is the way they insure their hold on power. They MUST control YOUR sources of information. The Mainstream Media is, basically, the “Media Wing of the Democrat Party”. The independent broadcasters, and the community stations, and the company owned chains of stations, must be brought to heel… and the Fairness Doctrine will do it.
Another excellent article entitled: “Why the Fairness Doctrine is Anything But Fair” can be found over at The Heritage Foundation’s site. You’ll find it at:
http://www.heritage.org/Research/Regulation/EM368.cfm
There is absolutely no doubt the Democrats will make every attempt to re-impose this Stalinist-type “law” or “regulation”… if not by the Congress, then certainly by installing their minions among the commissioners at the FCC where the rule will be issued, again, “with the force of law”. It is the Democrats way of “controlling the flow of information” and it is right out of the “dictator’s” handbook. They’re intent upon ramming their theocracy of socialism, down the throats of Americans in any way they can. The Fairness Doctrine will stifle the free expression of opinion and strangle free speech on the broadcast media in the United States.
Do not kid yourself. If the socialist Democrats are successful in controlling the free flow of information on the broadcast media, they will not hesitate to attack the internet, or the way Americans use the internet, to express opinions other than those of the left wing in this country.
Those of us on the right side of the political spectrum in America warned Americans of the crazed power trip the left would indulge in if given control of the Congress. It has only just begun. Their “child-like” naiveté is dangerous to the nation. Under Democrat control, freedom of speech is tolerated so long as that speech is censored by them and agrees with that party’s philosophy, which, of course, is subject to change at any given time in order to maintain control of the reins of power by their party.
Voices from the right have warned, many, many, times that Democrats out of power are funny, but IN power they are dangerous! It was never meant to be funny! It was always meant as a warning to Americans, that Democrat control of the US government is as close to a political dictatorship as is possible, at this moment in time, in this country. But little by little, the American will for freedom, and free expression, is being damped down. Each new generation of Americans values their freedom less than the generation preceding them. Soon, American Freedom will be no more. Care to guess who will be in control of the US government on that red-letter day?
As of this writing any Fairness Doctrine Bill passed by both Houses of Congress, and sent to the President for his signature, will be vetoed, just as President Reagan vetoed the last attempt by the Left wing Congress to resurrect this Marxist attempt at information control, and control of free speech. However, if a Democrat is elected President in 2008, and the Democrats maintain control of the Congress… the Fairness Doctrine will certainly, without a doubt, be one of the very first bills passed from the new Congress and signed into law by the Democrat President. In order to understand Democrats you must remember… Democrats exist for only two things in life. That is… the acquisition of power and maintaining that power!
Looming as a huge target for the Democrat’s control of information is that Super Highway of Information… the Internet. Do not think they have no plans to silence the voices of dissent, the voices from the right, on this “network of citizen journalists”! They cannot allow the Internet to exist as it currently exists. So rest assured, they will be coming after the Internet. They have no choice. We bloggers are a danger to them… so we must be silenced. Conservative bloggers should be prepared. Make ready. It’s coming!
Longstreet
First... the Fairness Doctrine for Broadcasters… and then… the Internet! Bet on it!
Just a few years afterthe Second World War, the Government yoked the broadcast Industry, in the USA, with the insufferably heavy burden of the so-called “Fairness Doctrine”. (Note: the Fairness Doctrine lasted from 1949 to 1987.) To maintain your license, as a broadcaster, if you put anything on the air, which was controversial, you absolutely had to put on the “other side” of the issue. The “Other Side”, in the real world, comes in multiples of more than two… believe me on this!
Many AM broadcast stations only have “x”-number of hours they can broadcast in a single day. Now, if one must air the “other side” of the controversial subject that station decides to put on its air, much of the day is spent. And, folks, I have to tell you, the most difficult programming to sell, for any broadcaster, is the so-called “Public Affairs” programs. Why? Because, hardly anybody listens to that type of program. Listeners stay away in droves! If a broadcaster, not supported by the government (that is to say, your tax money), relies upon sales of commercial time to exist… then the Fairness Doctrine will play havoc with that stations revenue. Broadcasting, as with any other business, MUST make money; it MUST make a profit, or perish! Broadcasters know that Conservative programming sells and Liberal programming does not sell! That is a fact of life in the US.
So, what did broadcaster do from 1949 to 1987? They aired as little Public Affairs programs as they could and still hold their licenses. Public Affairs programming was aired in the wee hours of the morning, or during the early morning hours of Sunday morning when broadcast stations traditionally have the lowest volume of listeners of the entire broadcast week. It was a juggling act.
In the late 1980’s the Fairness Doctrine was rescinded. AM broadcast stations, which had been hanging on by the skin of their teeth, suddenly found that people would listen to conservative talk radio programs. Those stations grabbed that life preserver with all their might and “Talk Radio” took off… and saved the AM Broadcast Industry in America.
There was a problem, however. Listeners would listen to right wing, or conservative, talk radio. But, when a station placed a left wing, or liberal talk show on, the listeners tuned out. Any period of time, in a broadcast station’s day, which has no listeners cannot be sold. So, broadcaster dropped those left-wing shows like hot potatoes!
The AM broadcast market was reborn!
However, the problem with liberal talk shows irks the living daylights out of the left wing politicos in America and they have been on a slow burn since the late 80’s. They have been waiting for an opportunity to re-impose the Fairness Doctrine… not to balance the programming of broadcast stations, as they claim, but to force the AM Market, especially, to drop the right wing talk shows. And it WILL work.
In order for the stations to continue to air such shows as Rush Limbaugh, they will be required, by law, to put on left wing shows which will cost them listeners and money, and… reduce their income. So, the stations will be forced to remove the right wing talk shows to stay within the law… THAT is the “Fairness Doctrine”.
That’s what the re-imposition of the Fairness Doctrine is all about. Not to get more left wing, liberal, talk radio shows on the air… but to get the already existing right wing, conservative, talk shows OFF THE AIR! And… it WILL work!
How do I know? I spent a 30-year broadcasting career having to find ways to work around that hated requirement in order to stay within the law. It was a miserable way to do business.
Selwyn Duke, over at The American Thinker, has an excellent piece on this subject. We recommend you take the time to read it at:
http://www.americanthinker.com/2007/01/the_barker_and_the_shill_the_f.html
The Democrats never change. It’s always the “same song next verse”. And that’s what we have here. They’re going to force this piece of legislation on the nation’s broadcasters and the American public. You see, they must! It is the way they insure their hold on power. They MUST control YOUR sources of information. The Mainstream Media is, basically, the “Media Wing of the Democrat Party”. The independent broadcasters, and the community stations, and the company owned chains of stations, must be brought to heel… and the Fairness Doctrine will do it.
Another excellent article entitled: “Why the Fairness Doctrine is Anything But Fair” can be found over at The Heritage Foundation’s site. You’ll find it at:
http://www.heritage.org/Research/Regulation/EM368.cfm
There is absolutely no doubt the Democrats will make every attempt to re-impose this Stalinist-type “law” or “regulation”… if not by the Congress, then certainly by installing their minions among the commissioners at the FCC where the rule will be issued, again, “with the force of law”. It is the Democrats way of “controlling the flow of information” and it is right out of the “dictator’s” handbook. They’re intent upon ramming their theocracy of socialism, down the throats of Americans in any way they can. The Fairness Doctrine will stifle the free expression of opinion and strangle free speech on the broadcast media in the United States.
Do not kid yourself. If the socialist Democrats are successful in controlling the free flow of information on the broadcast media, they will not hesitate to attack the internet, or the way Americans use the internet, to express opinions other than those of the left wing in this country.
Those of us on the right side of the political spectrum in America warned Americans of the crazed power trip the left would indulge in if given control of the Congress. It has only just begun. Their “child-like” naiveté is dangerous to the nation. Under Democrat control, freedom of speech is tolerated so long as that speech is censored by them and agrees with that party’s philosophy, which, of course, is subject to change at any given time in order to maintain control of the reins of power by their party.
Voices from the right have warned, many, many, times that Democrats out of power are funny, but IN power they are dangerous! It was never meant to be funny! It was always meant as a warning to Americans, that Democrat control of the US government is as close to a political dictatorship as is possible, at this moment in time, in this country. But little by little, the American will for freedom, and free expression, is being damped down. Each new generation of Americans values their freedom less than the generation preceding them. Soon, American Freedom will be no more. Care to guess who will be in control of the US government on that red-letter day?
As of this writing any Fairness Doctrine Bill passed by both Houses of Congress, and sent to the President for his signature, will be vetoed, just as President Reagan vetoed the last attempt by the Left wing Congress to resurrect this Marxist attempt at information control, and control of free speech. However, if a Democrat is elected President in 2008, and the Democrats maintain control of the Congress… the Fairness Doctrine will certainly, without a doubt, be one of the very first bills passed from the new Congress and signed into law by the Democrat President. In order to understand Democrats you must remember… Democrats exist for only two things in life. That is… the acquisition of power and maintaining that power!
Looming as a huge target for the Democrat’s control of information is that Super Highway of Information… the Internet. Do not think they have no plans to silence the voices of dissent, the voices from the right, on this “network of citizen journalists”! They cannot allow the Internet to exist as it currently exists. So rest assured, they will be coming after the Internet. They have no choice. We bloggers are a danger to them… so we must be silenced. Conservative bloggers should be prepared. Make ready. It’s coming!
Longstreet
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4 comments:
Where have you been? Free speech is dead, thanks in part to the cowards who gave up freedom for security after 911... Free speech zones, protestors being arrested and harassed by the "keepers of the status quo", the police for those of you in Reolinda. A woman for the peace group "Code Pink" was thrown out of a GOP rally for wearing a shirt. A man was not allowed to fly for wearing a shirt that said "peace" on the front of it. What a crock, free speech has been dead. The FCC under the fascist leader Bush has been passing things and the GOP in Congress has helped push back net neutrality regulations to favor big contributors, public access TV has been under attack targeting must carry laws, remember the airwaves belong to "We the people". The merging of all the media outlets that has been allowed to go on is a sin against Democracy, with fewer and fewer outlets we are fed a lopsided, corporate view of what is going on. Sorry Sir you can pin this growth of corporate/government power on the Democrats. All views deserve equal time, not just yours or mine sir.... Information, real information is the key to safeguarding democracy. Where were all the journalists questioning the reasons for going into Iraq before the war? Where were the news stories about Iraq not having WMD, or even not possibly linked to 911 before the war? Our media is a tool for big corporations and big government, where the heck have you been? And then there are the groups that think money equals speech, not logical, how can someone with more money have more speech than someone else just because of their money?
free speech is your right, as long as you agree with the left. They wish to completely silence any dissenting opinion, which is essentially those that subscribe to conservative thought, Christianity, or common sense.
Frank, you asked where I had been.... I have been right in the middle of it! For near onto 30 years I did radio commentaries, five days a week, and allowed, anyone who wished, time to rebut me. That's also why there are comments on this site. I allow anyone to comment so long as they are civl and respectful with their remarks.
Look, here is the thing I don't think you folks on the left understand: As long as people are allowed to voice their criticism of government openly, and freely, it acts as an esczpe valve for the anger which naturally builds within people who feel oppressed. If that safety valve is turned off... that pressure builds and soon, there will be an uprising of the people... or... the government protects itself by creating a "police state". We see that all over the world in Marxist countries, especially.
If the Fairness Doctrine was indeed fair, I wouldn't have a problem with it, but I have worked with it and have direct day to day experience with it, and how it smothers free and open speech... and I KNOW, from experience, it will absolutely kill the free exchange of ideas on the broadcast media in this country.
Son, if you think freedom of speech is threatened now, under the Bush Administration... just wait 'til the next Clinton Adminstration! When she gets through purging the FCC commisioners you are not going to recognise the broadcast industry in this country!
Best regards,
Longstreet
I just think you and Douglas have it backwards; everything on the MSM had to be run past the Whitehouse first. It is a scam and a crock. No one covers the Daily anti-war pro peace demonstrations in this country, no one covered the hunger strike at Harvard by the students in support of the security workers, no one covers the police arrest members of a group (Critical Mass) who did nothing more than ride a bicycles through New York or the police investigation and rounding up of protestors at the RNC, it is a police (fascist) state. I don't understand how Americans can be silent when peoples' rights are being destroyed. If you disagree with what the government is doing, now more than ever you are told to "Shut up were at war". Well being at war is the worse reason to suspend liberties.
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