Brian Jennings, author of ”Censorship: The Threat to Silence Talk Radio,” was interviewed by Monica Crowley, Talk Radio Host on C-SPAN’s Book TV recently.
If that link doesn’t work for you, try this one
“Julius Genachowski, the man nominated to head the Federal Communications Commission … told a Senate committee he doesn’t support reinstatement of the Fairness Doctrine, an FCC rule abandoned during the Reagan administration that required broadcasters to air both sides of an issue. He said he doesn’t believe the FCC should be in the business of censoring political speech.”
Citizen Link has some details:
The FCC’s Advisory Committee on Diversity for Communications in the Digital Age plans to meet Thursday. The group exists to “make recommendations to the FCC regarding policies and practices that will further enhance the ability of minorities and women to participate in telecommunications and related industries.”
Seton Motley, director of communications for the Media Research Center, said the commission represents more than a dozen Leftist groups, but not a single conservative organization.
He said the goal is clear.
“The Left, no longer comfortable with trying the top-down, all-out assault that is the ‘Fairness’ Doctrine, intends instead to silence conservative and Christian talk via this broadcast license manipulation,” Motley wrote in a recent blog post.
“If they can succeed in making it impossible for talk radio to operate as a business, talk radio will cease to operate. Leftist problem solved. ‘Media diversity’ is just the latest Leftist attempt to get this done.”
The Media Research Center will also be following the action on their blog, MRCAction.org
Prof. Volokh’s legal analysis: Federal Felony To Use Blogs, the Web, Etc. To Cause Substantial Emotional Distress Through “Severe, Repeated, and Hostile” Speech?
Acting FCC Chairman Michael Copps has announced the full membership of the commission’s Advisory Committee on Diversity for Communications in the Digital Age. In other words, radio censorship by another name.
Well, that was rather anti-climactic and technical.
Here’s a really good summary; a longer and quite readable rundown; and the actual FCC doc.
I received this email a few days ago from one of my Senators, Russ Feingold (D-WI). This was a reply to my questions about his stances on the Fairness Doctrine and localism:
Thank you for contacting me regarding the Fairness Doctrine. I appreciate hearing from you.
As you may know, the Fairness Doctrine was repealed by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) over 20 years ago. I do not support its reinstatement because I don’t like the idea of the government micromanaging speech. I also have serious questions about whether it would be constitutional to reinstate the Fairness Doctrine, given the wide variety of media outlets available for the expression of different points of view.
That is why on February 26, 2009, I voted for the amendment to S. 160, the DC Voting Rights Act, offered by Senator DeMint (R-SC) banning the Fairness Doctrine. Unfortunately, the DeMint amendment was drafted so broadly that it could have also restricted the FCC from encouraging localism and ensuring that broadcasters are living up to their basic public interest responsibilities. These are responsibilities that broadcasters agree to when they are provided a segment of spectrum - a valuable piece of public property - and they should not be undone. I supported a Durbin amendment to clarify that public interest obligations remain, while ensuring that the Fairness Doctrine does not return. Both amendments were included in the final version of the bill. S. 160 passed the Senate, with my support, by a vote of 61-37. It now awaits consideration by the House of Representatives.
I also supported an amendment offered by Senator Thune (R-SD) on March 10, 2009, to the Omnibus Appropriations Act (H.R. 1105) that would have prevented the FCC from spending any funds to reinstate the Fairness Doctrine during the 2009 fiscal year. This amendment failed by a vote of 47-50. The Senate passed H.R. 1105 by voice vote on March 10, 2009. It was signed into law (P.L. 111-8) on March 11, 2009.
Thanks again for contacting me. Please feel free to do so in the future about this, or any other issue of concern to you.
March 18, 2009 — Reason editor Michael C. Moynihan chats with Glenn Beck about newspaper bailouts, the Fairness Doctrine, and localism:
Frank Pastore has a fascinating take on the proposed radio “Performance Tax” legislation and how it relates to the ongoing radio censorship debate.
Sen. Harkin’s reply to a constituent why he supports the “Durbin Amendment”.
Interestingly, Harkin (D-IA) mentions only talk radio, not the (overwhelmingly liberal) broadcast TV newscasts, newspapers, or endless supply of internet news and commentary.