Failed Radio Host: Bring Back The Fairness Doctrine So I Can Have a Job

Such a heart-tugging plea from failed radio host Bill Press, previously a failed television host. The Washington Post so graciously provides Press with space to make a plea to everyone to listen to Obama 1260 (yes, that's actually the name of the station) before it ceases to exist after today.

You see, in the feverish mind of Press, the fact nobody listens to Air America is -- you guessed it -- a right-wing conspiracy.

How pathetic.

In fact, the only reason there's not more competition on American airwaves is that the handful of companies that own most radio stations do everything they can to block it. In many markets -- witness Philadelphia, Boston, Providence and Houston -- they join in providing no outlet for progressive talk. In others, as in Washington, they limit it to a weak signal, spend zero dollars on promotion and soon pull the plug.

Companies are given a license to operate public airwaves -- free! -- in order to make a profit, yes, but also, according to the terms of their FCC license, "to operate in the public interest and to afford reasonable opportunity for the discussion of conflicting views of issues of public importance." Stations are not operating in the public interest when they offer only conservative talk.

For years, the Fairness Doctrine prevented such abuse by requiring licensed stations to carry a mix of opinion. However, under pressure from conservatives, President Ronald Reagan's Federal Communications Commission canceled the Fairness Doctrine in 1987, insisting that in a free market, stations would automatically offer a balance in programming.

That experiment has failed. There is no free market in talk radio today, only an exclusive, tightly held, conservative media conspiracy. The few holders of broadcast licenses have made it clear they will not, on their own, serve the general public. Maybe it's time to bring back the Fairness Doctrine -- and bring competition back to talk radio in Washington and elsewhere.

If people actually listened to Press and the rest of these far-left kooks then their ratings and ad revenue would reflect that. He doesn't understand, and never will, that conservatives dominate talk radio because they provide an alternative to the other 98% of the media that regurgitate the bilge coming from Obama radio. What Press and his ilk want is no competition. All media should be just like him, then we'll have fairness.

Good News: New and Improved 'Fairness Doctrine' Could Apply to Web Content

Nothing would ignite a fire under the behinds of a million bloggers more than threatening them with the idea of having to provide "balance" on their sites.

Good luck with that.

Mark my words. Any politician dumb enough to vote for something like this should take the time to enjoy their final term in office. I'm almost curious to see them try, as the backlash would be so swift and enormous the notion of resurrecting this long-outdated scheme would never again see the light of day.

There’s a huge concern among conservative talk radio hosts that reinstatement of the Fairness Doctrine would all-but destroy the industry due to equal time constraints. But speech limits might not stop at radio. They could even be extended to include the Internet and “government dictating content policy.”

FCC Commissioner Robert McDowell raised that as a possibility after talking with bloggers at the Heritage Foundation in Washington, D.C. McDowell spoke about a recent FCC vote to bar Comcast from engaging in certain Internet practices – expanding the federal agency’s oversight of Internet networks.

The commissioner, a 2006 President Bush appointee, told the Business & Media Institute the Fairness Doctrine could be intertwined with the net neutrality battle. The result might end with the government regulating content on the Web, he warned. McDowell, who was against reprimanding Comcast, said the net neutrality effort could win the support of “a few isolated conservatives” who may not fully realize the long-term effects of government regulation.

“I think the fear is that somehow large corporations will censor their content, their points of view, right,” McDowell said. “I think the bigger concern for them should be if you have government dictating content policy, which by the way would have a big First Amendment problem.”

“Then, whoever is in charge of government is going to determine what is fair, under a so-called ‘Fairness Doctrine,’ which won’t be called that – it’ll be called something else,” McDowell said. “So, will Web sites, will bloggers have to give equal time or equal space on their Web site to opposing views rather than letting the marketplace of ideas determine that?”

The notion is so insane, so anti-freedom that only some pointy-headed libs could be stupid enough to dream it up.

I can see the left trying to stifle dissent by attempting to silence talk radio. After all, they hate free speech. But the idea that blogs would ever have to provide balance? With the sheer volume on both the left and right it would just not be possible. Considering it's the World Wide Web, how would they possibly control content that extends across the globe?

Boxer and The Pantsuit Want to Silence Critics

If the account of Senator Inhofe is true, and I have little reason to doubt him, the two peas in the socialist pod want to shut down conservative talk radio.

No doubt the absurd report produced by Clinton hack John Podesta yesterday was just part of the initial onslaught.

If these two nitwits think they can pull a Hugo Chavez and stifle free speech in this country, then they're dumber than I thought; and I've never held either in very high intellectual esteem.

Bring. It. On.

Unable to Compete in Talk Radio, Left Seeks to Shut It Down

It's utterly laughable these clowns would waste time coming up with a report stating the obvious. I'm breathlessly awaiting their analysis noting how 99% of network news and print media is "progressive", but won't hold my breath.

So talk radio is dominated by conservatives? Why? Because that's where the talent is.

Here's a suggestion. Find some talent on the left that would actually get ratings, you idiots.

UPDATE: Michelle Malkin completely demolishes the buffoons with an updated Fairness Doctrine Watch.