DeMint to force vote on "fairness" doctrine

Woiyo's post re the dirty little secret built into the bill that 'killed' the Fairness Doctrine should get everybody's attention here. Look for lawmakers and their media advocates to pronounce the Fairness Doctrine dead today. Don't expect them to play up the 'promote diversity in ownership' clause, however, that could be the biggest assault on freedom of the press that Congress has come up with since McCain/Feingold and could be far more dangerous.

The whole problem with 'fairness' is who gets to decide what that is? What criteria do they use? Who figures out whether there is compliance? If 90% of Americans favor any issue, must 50% of the time radio or television devoted to it still be opposed to it? What relief is offered to radio stations who can't get advertisers because nobody wants to listen to what the government says they have to put on?

But far more chilling is the government deciding what 'diversity' looks like in deciding which citizens will receive licenses to operate a radio station. Again who gets to decide that? What criteria do they use? Would the lefties be comfortable with the Bush administration deciding that? Will those right of center feel good about the current Congress and Administration deciding that? Isn't having control of PBS enough?

There is a lot of unused band width out there available for anybody to use. If there is a market for more 'diversity', there is absolutely nothing stopping anybody from taking advantage of it.

But if we allow the government to decide who will run the media and what it will be allowed to put on the air, we might as well hang it up because without our First Amendment, we will have no freedom at all.

The sky is falling ! ! ! The sky is falling ! ! !

-- C. Little

What exactly do you think the 'promote diversity in ownership' clause means, Conservatives?

I think it likely has much to do with the rules that Bush abolished, preventing a large number of media outlets in the same town owned by the same people. And that rule SHOULD exist. Heck, that rule even protects right-wing talk radio.

Cycloptichorn

do you not understand what "diversity of ownership" means? do you not understand that in the last 10 or so years there has been a consolidation in the media industry whittling the ownership down to just a couple of corporations?

that has ramifications beyond the state of your precious talk radio, ya know. an example is Clear Channel. under it's ownership and direction, the playlist of all owned stations has been brought under strict adherence; bringing the discovery of new artists and the catalog works of established artists to a meager trickle. same 10 songs over and over again. nationwide. snore.

but since "conservatives" are so concerned about having heroes like rush, sean and glen censored by bad, bad constitution hating "libtards", its worth noting something here;

1) all three of them are contracted to Premier Radio Networks. a subsidiary of Clear Channel.

2) Clear Channel banned the playing of music by the Dixie Chicks on it's affilliates. as did fellow biggies, Cumulus and Cox. Hooray for free speech and love of the constitution that only real americans can have, right. shuhh..

so who is that has shown a willingness to ban free speech? the correct answer is "conservative" inclined radio, not the aforementioned "libtards".

as usual, you and your radical right armchair warriors are the "tards" around here.

they haven't got a fookin' clue, cyclo. wonder if they know what the definition of monopoly is?

You clowns can spin this one till you turn blue, but the reality of it is prettysimple.

In the entire national capital area out of all the AM and FM radio stations there are, we have just the one AM station, WMAL, which features the half dozen or so well known conservative talk radio hosts.

**** with WMAL in any way, shape, or fashion and, far as I'm concderned, there would be nothing left to lose and CW-II would be on.

Ooh! The rest of the country better watch out, the batshit crazy idiot faction is threatening rebellion!



They may take our lives, but they'll never take....

OUR TALK RADIO!!!!

What a ******* joke. You guys couldn't plan your way out of a paper bag, let alone organize a successful rebellion.

Cycloptichorn

Are you trying to get on Gunga Dim's ignore list . . . or has he already done you that favor . . .

Supposedly I'm on it. But I don't believe him. People just can't resist the temptation to look.

Cycloptichorn

i know.. can't wait till they get to my house. i've been in need of a good laugh lately.

Foxfyre is correct.
"Without our First Amendment , we will have no freedom at all"

Even the ACLU( the darlings of the left) had the moral fortitude to defend EVEN THE NAZIS on a free speech matter.

Note:

In 1977 and 1978, Illinois Nazis of the National Socialist Party of America (derived from the American Nazi Party) attempted to demonstrate their political existence with a march in Skokie " at the City's north western border " far from their south side headquarters. Originally, the NSPA had planned a political rally in Marquette Park, in the south side of Chicago, to which the City reacted against, first, by requiring the NSPA post an onerous public-safety-insurance bond, then, by banning all political demonstrations in Marquette Park.

Seeking another free-speech political venue, the NSPA chose to march on Skokie. Given the many Holocaust survivors living in Skokie, the Village's Government thought the Nazi march would be politically provocative and socially disruptive, and refused the NSPA its permission. In the event, the American Civil Liberties Union interceded in behalf of the NSPA, in the case of the National Socialist Party of America v. Village of Skokie, wherein an Illinois appeals court raised the injunction issued by a Cook County Circuit Court judge, ruling that the presence of the swastika, the Nazi emblem, would constitute deliberate provocation of the people of Skokie. However, the Court also ruled that Skokie's attorneys had failed to prove that either the Nazi uniform or their printed materials, which it was alleged that the Nazis intended to distribute, would incite violence.


BUT THE NAZIS ON THIS THREAD are not aware of the ACLU's defense of Freedom of Speech. The left wingers on this thread remind me of Joseph Goebbels-----The NAZI propaganda chief. Goebbels gathered together all of the representatives of the major papers in Germany early each morning. At these meetings, Goebbels told these representatives and editors--what to print, what not to print and how the news should be slanted.

Soon, we may see the esteemed Attorney General --Holder--meeting with the major newspaper editors or representatives like Goebbles did.

I would be very happy to see the Obamaites try to censor conservative and Christian radio. I am sure of several outcomes:

1. Continued commentary by conservative TV, Conservative magazines and conservative nespapers and blogs reminding watchers and readers of who exactly was responsible

2.Thousands of letters and phone calls to Congressmen, especially those House and Senate members running in November 2010.

3. The leftwing House and Senate members have probably never seen the door to door campaign that would ensue if and when the radio broadcast regulations were passed.

I would be very happy to see the regulations passed. It would materially reduce the Democratic hold on the House and Senate.

Welcome to my ignore list.

Gosh DTOM, it looks like the rebellion is just going to pass you by. Maybe they will stop at the Jones place down the road.

rats. i had a big bowl of candy all set by the door for them.

The ignore list is for the shitbirds who add nothing whatever to any of these conversations other than namecalling and bad conduct. The following is my list of ignored users:

DontTreadOnMe
JTT
BillRM
Steve 41oo
MontereyJack
Cycloptichorn
rosborne979
Shirakawasuna
Fountofwisdom
Setanta
parados

If any of those losers aren't on your list, they probably should be.

I hope this at least leaves us all with a much smaller chance of getting that smelly Gunga snake oil all over.

Poor farmerman hasn't made the list yet.

I would be very happy to see the Obamaites try to censor conservative and Christian radio. I am sure of several outcomes:

1. Continued commentary by conservative TV, Conservative magazines and conservative nespapers and blogs reminding watchers and readers of who exactly was responsible

2.Thousands of letters and phone calls to Congressmen, especially those House and Senate members running in November 2010.

3. The leftwing House and Senate members have probably never seen the door to door campaign that would ensue if and when the radio broadcast regulations were passed.

I would be very happy to see the regulations passed. It would materially reduce the Democratic hold on the House and Senate.