Schumer revives Fairness Doctrine discussion

[triple]

Schumer on Fox: Fairness Doctrine ‘fair and balanced’
By Bob Cusack
Posted: 11/04/08 11:30 AM [ET]

Sen. Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) on Tuesday defended the so-called Fairness Doctrine in an interview on Fox News, saying, “I think we should all be fair and balanced, don’t you?”

Schumer’s comments echo other Democrats’ views on reviving the Fairness Doctrine, which would require radio stations to balance conservative hosts with liberal ones.

Asked if he is a supporter of telling radio stations what content they should have, Schumer used the fair and balanced line, claiming that critics of the Fairness Doctrine are being inconsistent.

“The very same people who don’t want the Fairness Doctrine want the FCC [Federal Communications Commission] to limit pornography on the air. I am for that… But you can’t say government hands off in one area to a commercial enterprise but you are allowed to intervene in another. That’s not consistent.”

In 2007, Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), a close ally of Democratic presidential nominee Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) told The Hill, “It’s time to reinstitute the Fairness Doctrine. I have this old-fashioned attitude that when Americans hear both sides of the story, they’re in a better position to make a decision.”

Senate Rules Committee Chairwoman Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) last year said, “I believe very strongly that the airwaves are public and people use these airwaves for profit. But there is a responsibility to see that both sides and not just one side of the big public questions of debate of the day are aired and are aired with some modicum of fairness.”

Conservatives fear that forcing stations to make equal time for liberal talk radio would cut into profits so significantly that radio executives would opt to scale back on conservative radio programming to avoid escalating costs and interference from the FCC.

They also note that conservative radio shows has been far more successful than liberal ones.

In his Fox interview, Schumer, who heads the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, also weighed in on the election, predicting that Democrats will end up with between 56 and 58 seats in the Senate.

He also defended “card check” legislation, claiming there is a strong need to allow workers a private ballot to register their votes on whether to organize a union.
Schumer said “there has to be some counter” to the leverage businesses have, claiming “employers have every leg up on people who want to organize and that’s why union workers have gone down from about 25 percent to 6 percent [in the private sector].”

Business groups adamantly oppose the card check bill, which passed the House and fell short of the necessary votes to overcome a filibuster in the Senate.

http://thehill.com/leading-the-news/...008-11-04.html

[triple]

My guess is that shutting up talk radio will be one of their first moves, to clear the way for the rest.

[petegz28]

I heard two dems last week started probing about shutting up the military from giving press brieifings during combat.

Sounds like someone is really wanting to control what we hear and who we hear it from.

[petegz28]

How come no liberal talk shows can make it on their own? I never heard of a radio station turning down a profitable program regardless of politics.

[dirk digler]

I personally think this is just all talk. I don't think Obama would go for this if he becomes the POTUS

[triple]

Originally Posted by dirk digler

I personally think this is just all talk. I don't think Obama would go for this if he becomes the POTUS

what evidence is there to believe he would stand up to party leadership?

[Sully]

I can't see this being seriousl pushed.
If it is, I'll be right alongside you guys with torches and pitchforks decrying it.

[Friendo]

Originally Posted by Sully

I can't see this being seriousl pushed.
If it is, I'll be right alongside you guys with torches and pitchforks decrying it.

agreed--ain't gonna happen...just a

[triple]

Originally Posted by Friendo

agreed--ain't gonna happen...just a

Who's going to stop them?

[RJ]

Originally Posted by Sully

I can't see this being seriousl pushed.
If it is, I'll be right alongside you guys with torches and pitchforks decrying it.

Same here.

We have a lefty station on the right side of the AM dial and a righty station on the AM dial and I listen to them both - though lately the righty station has been a bit highly charged.

One of the senators pushing this, Jeff Bingaman, is from here. I intend to send him an email on the subject after the elections. I'm against government telling a radio station what views they have to broadcast. I can change the station on my own and there are plenty of progressive shows available if that's my preference.

[donkhater]

Originally Posted by dirk digler

I personally think this is just all talk. I don't think Obama would go for this if he becomes the POTUS

Then you haven't been paying attention. His campaign was constantly threatening to supress radio stations that aired news stories that were critical of him.

I honestly think this will be job 1 for Barry and the Dems. Can't quite see the constitutionality of it, but after he puts a couple 'compassionate' justices on the bench, that won't really matter, will it?

[Sully]

[quote=donkhater;5186261]

Originally Posted by dirk digler

I personally think this is just all talk. I don't think Obama would go for this if he becomes the POTUS[/QUOTE

Then you haven't been paying attention. His campaign was constantly threatening to supress radio stations that aired news stories that were critical of him.

I honestly think this will be job 1 for Barry and the Dems. Can't quite see the constitutionality of it, but after he puts a couple 'compassionate' justices on the bench, that won't really matter, will it?

I paid pretty close attntion, but that must've slipped past my radar. Can you help me out with some links?

Also...do you know which justices will be replaced, if any, and the Supreme COurt?

[Iowanian]

So much for free speech and capitolism.


Dear Leader will want equal time for air time worship of him.

[triple]

Originally Posted by donkhater

Then you haven't been paying attention. His campaign was constantly threatening to supress radio stations that aired news stories that were critical of him.

I honestly think this will be job 1 for Barry and the Dems. Can't quite see the constitutionality of it, but after he puts a couple 'compassionate' justices on the bench, that won't really matter, will it?

Congress would love nothing more than to give the old media their monopoly on the airwaves back.

Does Obama want it? I think he probably does, but even if he doesn't, he's not going to stand up to the party to stop it.

[donkhater]

[quote=Sully;5186269]

Originally Posted by donkhater

I paid pretty close attntion, but that must've slipped past my radar. Can you help me out with some links?

Also...do you know which justices will be replaced, if any, and the Supreme COurt?

Here ya go. There are links within the article as well.

http://www.boston.com/bostonglobe/ed...ictator_label/

I would think that Scalia (age 72)would be close to stepping down as any conservative justice. Obviously replacing Ginsberg (75) or Stevens (88) wouldn't change the look of the court much. Kennedy (72) leaving might matter since he can be somewhat of a swing vote. Alito, Roberts and Thomas are actually the youngest.