[$tinkle]

as can only be responsibly, fairly, & balancedly reported: fauxnews.com

First radio, now the Web?

Media analysts and bloggers are warning that fresh efforts to bring back the so-called Fairness Doctrine could go too far, following a report that one prominent Democrat is looking into ways to apply the media control standards to the Internet.

The Fairness Doctrine is a police created decades ago but abolished in the late 1980s that required broadcasters to provide opposing views on controversial issues.

While some Democrats have talked about reviving the policy, The American Spectator reported Monday that Rep. Henry Waxman, D-Calif., is taking the call to a new level. The article said aides to the chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Committee met last week with Federal Communications Commission staff to discuss ways to not only enact those policies but give Waxman's panel greater oversight over the Internet.

"It's all about diversity in media," the Spectator quoted a House energy committee staff member as saying. "Does one radio station or one station group control four of the five most powerful outlets in one community? ... Does one heavily trafficked Internet site present one side of an issue and not link to sites that present alternative views?"

The committee vigorously denied the report. A spokesperson called the account "fictitious" in a statement to FOX News.

"The American Spectator report is false and was written without any documentation or attribution," the statement said.

Analysts treated the report with a dose of skepticism as well -- but noted that the idea is not entirely foreign. Robert McDowell, the current FCC commissioner and a Bush appointee, warned in an interview last year that Fairness Doctrine advocates might try to extend their policies to the Web.

"This borders between stupidity and sheer insanity," said conservative radio talk show host Mike Gallagher, when told about the Spectator report. "I can't wait until they try to monitor how many conservative posts are on a thread versus how many liberal posts are on a thread." [psst...don't wander over here]

The Fairness Doctrine was adopted in 1949 and held that broadcasters were obligated to provide opposing points of views on controversial issues of national importance. It was halted under the Reagan administration.

The policy is the scourge of conservative radio hosts, who say it would allow the federal government to skew content on their programs. Democratic lawmakers, some of whom have renewed the call to reinstate the doctrine in recent weeks, say it would bring accountability to the airwaves and help increase the number of liberal shows in a landscape dominated by conservatives like Rush Limbaugh.

But he said there is "no justification" for applying the doctrine to the Internet, or any other form of media -- since the doctrine was only meant to apply standards to the privileged holders of limited broadcast licenses. The Internet, by contrast, has infinite outlets for opinion.

"Cable and Internet are, at least theoretically, limitless in the number of voices that they can present, and it's not at all the same as broadcast," Rendall said.

Brent Bozell, president of the conservative Media Research Center, said it would be "impossible" to regulate balance and neutrality on the Internet. He said he thinks Democrats eventually want to bring those standards to the Web but are struggling to rally the political will to revisit the Fairness Doctrine.

He said any legislative efforts to reinstate it will probably occur behind closed doors, since doing it out in the open could cause political repercussions.

The Spectator reported that Waxman's advisers were discussing ways to implement Fairness Doctrine policies without actually calling it the "Fairness Doctrine."

Other Democrats have openly called for a modern-day Fairness Doctrine in recent weeks, though they were referring more to radio than the Internet.

"I absolutely think it's time to be bringing accountability to the airwaves," Sen. Debbie Stabenow, D-Mich., told liberal radio host Bill Press two weeks ago. She said she expects hearings soon on reviving the policy, though her office has reportedly backed off that prediction. (Stabenow's husband, Tom Athans, is and has been an executive at several liberal radio talk groups.)

And Sen. Tom Harkin, D-Iowa, told Press last week: "We gotta get the Fairness Doctrine back in law again."

During the presidential campaign, a spokesman said then-candidate Barack Obama did not favor reinstating the Fairness Doctrine. But Obama's White House aides are now leaving open the question.

Asked if the White House would rule out imposing the doctrine on "FOX News Sunday," senior adviser David Axelrod ducked.

"I'm going to leave that issue to Julius Genachowski, our new head of the FCC ... and the president to discuss. So I don't have an answer for you now," he said.

Despite the speculation, nobody has introduced a bill this session to reinstate those policies.

Meanwhile, Oklahoma Sen. [and vehemently unapologetic global warming skeptic] James Inhofe introduced a bill this year to prevent reinstatement of the Fairness Doctrine.

i think some of this is already being used here in the greater rm empire: i'll see ads of some dude hucking, then reload the page to find mrs huxtable & mrs eddie van halen pimping jenny craig

 

[Defenestrated]

Fox News is angry about being made to show both sides of an argument? Big shock there.

 

[$tinkle]

Fox News is angry about being made to show both sides of an argument? Big shock there.

it's much bigger than that. imagine trying to enforce this policy @ nytimes, npr, & pbs.

all of which are outlets i routinely get information, and have been demonstrated over the years to be consistency left of center. i don't have foxnews on my sat pkg, and yet i'm still conservative. odd isn't it i would be able to think for myself, and am thereby immune to teh mindwaves of the liberal media. don't you have this same measure of confidence for your ilk?

 

[stevew]

listening to air america was pure torture when i could pick it up.

no one will buy advertising if your product sucks. that's their problem.

why would a station want to lose money.

they should learn to fvcking deal with it.

 

[$tinkle]

obama caves to foxjews: White House: Obama Opposes 'Fairness Doctrine' Revival

 

[jonKranked]

if it applied to the interwebz... how would you present both sides of tubgirl??

 

[$tinkle]

katie couric's colon cam?

 

[Secret Squirrel]

katie couric's colon cam?

Rating of this post: 3.45 Courics

 

[ohio]

obama caves to foxjews: White House: Obama Opposes 'Fairness Doctrine' Revival

Should we really be surprised that Obama is on the right side of this issue. He's never been one of the pansies on either side of the isle whining about fairness.

Instead of whinging about suppressing opinions you don't like to hear how about just doing a better job with the ones you do like? Crank up the NPR funding... use BBC as inspiration. Get someone decent behind Air America.

The answer to competition is not to make everyone's product worse. Dumbasses.

 

[Defenestrated]

it's much bigger than that. imagine trying to enforce this policy @ nytimes, npr, & pbs.

all of which are outlets i routinely get information, and have been demonstrated over the years to be consistency left of center. i don't have foxnews on my sat pkg, and yet i'm still conservative. odd isn't it i would be able to think for myself, and am thereby immune to teh mindwaves of the liberal media. don't you have this same measure of confidence for your ilk?

I know, and I really don't support the bill anyway. I just loath Fox News.

 

[$tinkle]

funny you should post that right as i was reading this:
http://entertainment.timesonline.co.uk/tol/arts_and_entertainment/the_tls/article5707143.ece

"know thine enemy" and all that

 

[Defenestrated]

The article is clearly structured to tell you what to think, it's erie, like they are using some form of Fox News article generator, possibly stolen tech? lol.

But I don't believe in a invisible omnipotent consciousness in the sky who's existence is unprovable, so... I already have drawn my own conclusions anyway.