"Fairness Doctrine" is anything but fair
Some in Congress are attempting to pass the "fairness doctrine" which amounts to censorship of the airways. It's hypocritical how the same people who trumpet "free speech" when restrictions to pornography are suggested, are all for limiting conservative views on radio and TV.
The president isn't going to blame the Democrats – yet – for not fully supporting a plan that would assure broadcasters in the United States their freedom from government-imposed censorship on their views and comments.
The issue concerns the ongoing battle over the so-called "Fairness Doctrine" by which the federal government used to require radio broadcasters to "balance" their comments between conservative and liberal viewpoints.
There have been a multitude of calls in recent years for that doctrine to be reasserted by the federal government, in light of the overwhelming success of more traditional perspectives on radio airwaves today.
A spokeswoman for President Bush today said he doesn't believe there's any need for such censorship.
"The president believes that the First Amendment, freedom of speech and the press, should not be denied to radio and television by the so-called Fairness Doctrine, doesn't he?" asked Les Kinsolving, WND's correspondent at the White House.
"That's correct," said Dana Perino, the White House spokeswoman.
"Republican congressman Mike Pence of Indiana has introduced the Broadcaster Freedom Act, which needs only 24 more signatures on a discharge petition to go to the House floor for a vote. And my question: Since, in the House, both of Maryland's Republicans have supported the Broadcaster Freedom Act, but all six of Maryland's Democrats have refused to do so, the president recognizes this as an indication the Democrats generally want the return of the Fairness Doctrine's on-air censorship, doesn't he?," Kinsolving continued.
"I don't know if that's necessarily the case, but it sounds like you have some lobbying work to do up on Capitol Hill, so we should dispatch you up there and see if you can get it done," Perino said.
CBS then noted, "He (Kinsolving) is not allowed to lobby and hold a press pass at the same time, remind him."
While that generated a laugh, the issue of "Fairness" censorship is serious for broadcasters around the nation.
Pence, in introducing his plan earlier, noted the Federal Communications Commission and its precursor developed the "Fairness Doctrine" in the 1930s and 1940s, but it fell by the wayside under President Ronald Reagan's veto in 1985.
"The lifting of the Fairness Doctrine has opened the public airwaves to free and vigorous discussion of controversial issues by individuals of all political stripes," he said. "Talk radio has emerged as a dynamic forum for public debate."
But he said the recent discussion has focused on "the need to level the playing field … A liberal think tank recently condemned what they called the 'massive imbalance' on the radio airwaves."
"Bringing back the Fairness Doctrine would amount to government control over political views expressed on the public airwaves. It is a dangerous proposal to suggest the government should be in the business of rationing free speech," he said.
Pence, a former broadcaster, said his Broadcasters Freedom Act would ensure that "true freedom and fairness will remain on our radio airwaves."
He now is trying to assemble the signatures on a discharge petition that would force a House floor vote on the issue. The Indiana Republican needs two dozen more.
See the World Net Daily for the rest of the article