Henry Waxman: bring back Fairness Doctrine under another name... and for the internet too?

Posted Tue, Feb 17, 2009 at 5:26 am
There's news from Venezuela North, also known as the mind of Rep. Henry Waxman, as according to this his representatives met with FCC staffers to discuss ways to put in place a form of the "Fairness Doctrine" without actually calling it such. An unnamed "House Energy staffer" says:
It's all about diversity in media... Does one radio station or one station group control four of the five most powerful outlets in one community? Do four stations in one region carry Rush Limbaugh, and nothing else during the same time slot? Does one heavily trafficked Internet site present one side of an issue and not link to sites that present alternative views? These are some of the questions the chairman is thinking about right now, and we are going to have an FCC that will finally have the people in place to answer them."
Give me my Instalanche, it's in the U.S. Code! I like the idea, but, well, actually I don't. I'd prefer to discredit Glenn Reynolds, Wikipedia, and all the rest the old-fashioned way.

Bear in mind that the source is unnamed, but note also that many Obama fans wouldn't have a problem with halting any speech that criticized The One. While any such moves would face some opposition, it wouldn't exactly be fierce.

The link goes on:
both the FCC and Waxman are looking to licensing and renewal of licensing as a means of enforcing "Fairness Doctrine" type policies without actually using the hot-button term "Fairness Doctrine." ...One idea Waxman's committee staff is looking at is a congressionally mandated policy that would require all TV and radio stations to have in place "advisory boards" that would act as watchdogs to ensure "community needs and opinions" are given fair treatment. Reports from those advisory boards would be used for license renewals and summaries would be reviewed at least annually by FCC staff.
UPDATE: Waxman denies the report; see the note here.
Tags: 
fairness doctrine
fcc
henry waxman

Comments

Fred Dawes (not verified)

Wed, 02/18/2009 - 01:37

we all know our government is not American and our so called government hates our freedoms now what will you do to free us from this evil madness? here is what its doing to control you..jury orders Rancher to pay $77.000 to illegal aliens for emotional distress you may ask why?, he called the police and stopped the aliens from raping his family. see savage nation for more info.

Cindi (not verified)

Wed, 02/18/2009 - 03:50

Since when it is any government's responsibility to ensure "community needs and opinions" are given fair treatment? Which "needs and opinions" and by whose definition of "fair"? Contrary to popular belief, the "airwaves" do not belong "to the people", they belong to those who pay for the stations and the transmitters. Licensing stations is another governmental usurpation of liberty and a source of control and revenue.

Fred Dawes (not verified)

Wed, 02/18/2009 - 06:56

revenus means tax control means you will do as i say, or go to reeducation camps, it means 1984.

petty bourgeois (not verified)

Wed, 02/18/2009 - 13:58

shut up fred. you add NOTHING but repeating yourself over and over and over again. we get your message. now leave. please.

Anonymous (not verified)

Thu, 02/19/2009 - 23:09

I totally agree with petty bourgeois. It's time you go

Fred Dawes (not verified)

Fri, 02/20/2009 - 05:32

Petty be good,Anonymous stp being so gay!

petty bourgeois (not verified)

Fri, 02/20/2009 - 13:56

I've been listening to his completely off-topic tourette's syndrome repeating itself for five years now. I've had enough. We get the point: government is evil, monkeys are in office, we are all going into internment camps so we should buy guns. I have heard it over and over and over for over 5 years now. Enough. There is nothing left for you to say Fred. We want you to be polite and stop posting here out of respect for the page's author, who will not censor or delete any comments as a matter of policy. We like that policy, except when bitter, crazy racists like yourself are permitted to opine here and make all of us look like a bunch of redneck dolts. So show some civility like a real American and leave since you do not have anything intelligent to say. When someone asks you to leave a party, you obviously are one to head straight back to the punch bowl because you don't have any respect for other people. All you care about is repeating your unintelligible diatribes. Go. Now. Please. Stop posting here Fred.