Michelle Malkin » Friday the 13th Fairness Doctrine Watch

Friday the 13th Fairness Doctrine Watch

By Michelle Malkin • February 13, 2009 12:02 PM

It’s Friday the 13th. Jason is a Democrat wielding his knife against conservative talk radio. They are all coming out of the woodwork now.

Harkin:

Iowa Senator Tom Harkin, a Democrat, defends his support of bringing back the Fairness Doctrine for broadcasting. The doctrine had required radio and television stations to cover controversial issues of public importance and give and opportunity for all sides to be heard.

The Fairness Doctrine was eliminated in 1987, but calls for reviving it had surfaced again recently. Harkin says it’s something he supports. Harkin says a few years ago he found out that the taxpayer funded Armed Forces Radio was running the Rush Limbaugh show, but weren’t running any “progressive” talk.

“So I came out and said if the taxpayers are paying for it, at least our armed services individuals ought to have at least the benefit of hearing the other side of the story, to quote Paul Harvey,” Harkin says. Conservatives like Iowa Congressman Steve King, a Republican, believe the move is an attempt to silence conservatives like Limbaugh. King issued a statement in response to Harkin saying information is now easily accessible in many forms and the Senator “wants to squelch your First Amendment rights in favor of Chinese-style censorship.”

Harkin says he’s just trying to be fair.

Bill Clinton:

Former President Bill Clinton isn’t pleased that conservatives are allowed to express views counter to his on the airwaves, and wants a re-enactment of the Fairness Doctrine.

In a preview of an interview with liberal talker Mario Solis-Marich to be aired in its entirety Friday, Clinton complained about the money funding “right wing talk shows” like Rush Limbaugh, and believes we should have “more balance in the programs or have some opportunity for people to offer countervailing opinions.”

And nutball Maurice Hinchey:

More and more Democrats in Congress are calling for action that Republicans warn could muzzle right-wing talk radio.

Representative Maurice Hinchey, a Democrat from New York is the latest to say he wants to bring back the “Fairness Doctrine,” a federal regulation scrapped in 1987 that would require broadcasters to present opposing views on public issues.

“I think the Fairness Doctrine should be reinstated,” Hinchey told CNNRadio. Hinchey says he could make it part of a bill he plans to introduce later this year overhauling radio and t-v ownership laws.

First, they’ll come for talk radio. Next, the Internet. Gird your loins, people.

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#621677

On February 13th, 2009 at 3:33 pm, chapoutier said:

How the heck do they have a recess?

What do you mean? All school children get recess. When else are they going to play kickball?
#621685

On February 13th, 2009 at 3:38 pm, Sergeant Tim said:

Out of fairness, we should demand that the following passage be a part of all legislation on this issue:

“All current and former election officials must remain silent — verbally, visually, and in writing — for a continuous period of 183 days during each calendar year.”

Talk of another “Fairness Doctrine” would come to a screeching halt. But hey, let’s demand the verbiage anyway, inserted into appropriations bills, for the sake of our sanity.
#621691

On February 13th, 2009 at 3:43 pm, Bacadog said:

Harkin says a few years ago he found out that the taxpayer funded Armed Forces Radio was running the Rush Limbaugh show, but weren’t running any “progressive” talk.

Fine. Make taxpayer funded AFR run Air America, and while you’re at it, make taxpayer funded NPR run Rush.
#621692

On February 13th, 2009 at 3:43 pm, John Deaux said:

This whole mess will depend on who decides what is right or left and what needs to be balanced. This administration sees CNN and MSNBC as centrist, which basically means there will be no changes needed to tv.
#621694

On February 13th, 2009 at 3:47 pm, Misscheryl said:

It now goes to the Senate where a vote was possible late Friday to meet a deadline of passing the plan before a recess begins next week

Pelosi…Rome…Recess

Lead a delegation my eye – she just wants the gobment to pay for her trip.
#621733

On February 13th, 2009 at 4:15 pm, bmac727 said:

The so-called “fairness doctrine” is just more Dem doublespeak and another piece of their National Socialist agenda to squash our Constitution and Freedom of Speech and anyone who speaks the truth about their plan to implement a permanent regime.
#621766

On February 13th, 2009 at 4:36 pm, eaglehaslanded said:

Your civics lesson for today:
The public owns the radio airwaves. Comedian Rush Limbaugh merely rents from us. It is not a freedom of speech issue. He is paying us for his speech. He is renting a billboard and WE own the billboard.

We own the airwaves. And we have to make sure that they are used fairly, not controlled by a few, but by many.

And no, this does not apply to cable TV because the public does not own that medium.
#621785

On February 13th, 2009 at 4:48 pm, Ed Mahmoud abu al-Kahoul said:

On February 13th, 2009 at 4:36 pm, eaglehaslanded said:
Your civics lesson for today:
The public owns the radio airwaves. Comedian Rush Limbaugh merely rents from us. It is not a freedom of speech issue. He is paying us for his speech. He is renting a billboard and WE own the billboard.

We own the airwaves. And we have to make sure that they are used fairly, not controlled by a few, but by many.

And no, this does not apply to cable TV because the public does not own that medium.

Dumba$s got the Ralph Nader talking points.

CBS News also broadcasts over public airwaves, and only an idiot pretends their news isn’t biased. Over at ABC, George Stephanopoulos takes part in Demonratic Party strategy calls with Rahm Emmanuel and others, and also heads ABC News’ politiucal reporting.

Air America also broadcasts over public airwaves, pinhead, not our fault nobody listens to it. NPR not only broadcasts over the airwaves, it is publically funded, and you’re not really such a moron to claim that NPR is balanced, are you?
#621795

On February 13th, 2009 at 4:52 pm, dadinseattle said:

Civics lesson for dodohassquated-
the people “vote” everyday when they tune in-

When the Hitler channel is mandated by your kind than people will also vote by tuning out-

Capitalism allows freedom, socialism impedes freedom.

We are the public!
#621798

On February 13th, 2009 at 4:53 pm, frostrt said:

On February 13th, 2009 at 4:36 pm, eaglehaslanded said:
Your civics lesson for today:
The public owns the radio airwaves. Comedian Rush Limbaugh merely rents from us. It is not a freedom of speech issue. He is paying us for his speech. He is renting a billboard and WE own the billboard.

We own the airwaves. And we have to make sure that they are used fairly, not controlled by a few, but by many.

And no, this does not apply to cable TV because the public does not own that medium.

—————————————

Actually the public DOES own the TV station PBS, in the sense that it is funded by a combination of our private donations and our tax dollars. I say we demand that Bill Moyers start giving equal time to “comedian” Rush Limbaugh.

The same goes for government-funded (because they would be off the air without gvt help) NPR. We own them as well; let’s force them to give “equal time” to conservatives.

Let me guess; you don’t like that idea?
#621817

On February 13th, 2009 at 5:01 pm, Elm Creek Smith said:

[On February 13th, 2009 at 4:36 pm, eaglehaslanded said:
Your civics lesson for today:
The public owns the radio airwaves. Comedian Rush Limbaugh merely rents from us. It is not a freedom of speech issue. He is paying us for his speech. He is renting a billboard and WE own the billboard.

We own the airwaves. And we have to make sure that they are used fairly, not controlled by a few, but by many.

And no, this does not apply to cable TV because the public does not own that medium.]

Civics lesson for eaglehaslanded: The “public” has voted, at least as far as radio goes. The commercial airwaves, at least on radio, are ruled by ratings. If the leftist radio programs could get any listeners, that would have advertisers flocking to them which would in turn raise revenues for the commercial radio stations which would put more leftist radio programs on the air.

By contrast, the broadcast television frequencies are dominated by the left. If you’re so hot for the airwaves to be used fairly then television needs some balance, too. Are you ready for that? For every slanted story the leftist Obamedia broadcasts equal time would have to be granted to the other side of the story. Brokaw, Gibson, and Kouric would have strokes. For every fawning adulatory piece about leftist icons on Today and Good Morning America, a similar piece must be provided on a real American.

See, the problem is the only airwaves you seem to be concerned about are AM radio frequencies. “Fairness?” Please. You’re not concerned with fairness. You’re just consumed by hate.

ECS
#621837

On February 13th, 2009 at 5:10 pm, WarEagle82 said:

I doubt “EagleHasDefecated” would be able to explain a single detail about the RF spectrum. He has once again demonstrated his complete lack of knowledge in an ever expanding array of topics. I guess this proves he is a lefty!

The people who license the individual frequencies pay the government for the right to use part of the spectrum. Rush pays those who are licensed to broadcast on a given frequency.

Ownership of the licenses is open to anyone and everyone. And those people have figured out they cannot sell leftist tripe if they broadcast it on their frequencies.

And for the record, cable TV and satellite TV most certainly use the public airwaves to bounce their signals off the satellites in orbit. But, thanks again for demonstrating your total, abject ignorance. It is amusing.
#621839

On February 13th, 2009 at 5:11 pm, Ed Mahmoud abu al-Kahoul said:

PigeonCrap was reciting a Ralph Nader talking point memo from last week…
#621845

On February 13th, 2009 at 5:13 pm, graysonret said:

According to the socialists and in keeping with their idea that they won a mandate to do anything they want, we will now be forced to listen to their “politics” rather than any opposing views, which will be aired about 1 am. Under their philosophy, this is “fairness”. The day is coming when radio, as well as TV now, will be socialist controlled.
#621849

On February 13th, 2009 at 5:14 pm, Elm Creek Smith said:

While I know that places like DU are very much the extreme, on this subject I think they voice the prevailing lib view that people, including those in the military, need to be controlled and reeducated.

Fixed. If you read the DU posters opinions about our military, you’ll find that it’s worse than you think. They’ll claim that people who join the military are a) stupid, b) Fascists, c) inbred, d) hillbillies, e) ignorant, f) murderers, g) perverts, h) losers, i) disgusting, j) Neanderthals, k) Nazis (not the same as b)), l) uneducated, m) unemployable, etc.

If given a choice, would you want the country defended by true Patriots or the whiners on DU and HuffPo?

ECS
CPT, Armor
US Army (Ret.)
#621865

On February 13th, 2009 at 5:22 pm, pdigaudio said:

eaglehaslanded said:
Your civics lesson for today:
The public owns the radio airwaves. Comedian Rush Limbaugh merely rents from us. It is not a freedom of speech issue. He is paying us for his speech. He is renting a billboard and WE own the billboard.

We own the airwaves. And we have to make sure that they are used fairly, not controlled by a few, but by many.

And no, this does not apply to cable TV because the public does not own that medium.]

Thuis guy obviously rides the Short Bus of Life. He needs remedial civics. It’s tools like this that are ushering in the coming socialist dictatorship. First you must silence dissent and control the flow of information. They will shut down talk radio first then the blogs and Internet next.

Since they control the rest of the media, in addition to the gummint-run skoolz and the colleges and universities, they control the flow of information.

Reminiscent of Hitler, Stalin, Castro and every other totalitarian despot they idolize.

It’s only a matter of time before those detention camps in H.R. 645 introduced by the the lying, corrupt. impeached former federal judge Alcee Hastings wind up containing those who oppose Our Lord and Savior ~~Jesus~~ ~~Christ~~ Barack Hussein Obama.

Not. My. President.

I know, I’ll be one of the first ones they come for. I just finished watching the Patrick Swayze action film Red Dawn. I imagine Hastings’ detention camps will look like that gulag where the Swayze character’s father was imprisoned.

God help us all.
#621908

On February 13th, 2009 at 5:43 pm, WarEagle82 said:

The logic that the government dictating who can say what, when and where is somehow not a violation of the 1st amendment is truly staggering.

This is a wonderful example of cognitive dissonance. You will see an increasing number of examples of this neurosis as the Obama administration unfolds its plans in full glory.
#622045

On February 13th, 2009 at 7:39 pm, right4life said:

turkeybuzzardhaslanded is a laughable idiot.

lets see the publiKKK owns the RADIO airwaves, but no the TV airwaves…or cable ‘waves’…why?

because the government SAYS SO
and of course who owns the internet ‘airwaves’??

the government owns whatever it says it does…including YOU.

learn to love it, because you have no choice (whoooooo…a little ric flair lingo there)
#622104

On February 13th, 2009 at 10:22 pm, havok said:

Bring it on!
#622149

On February 13th, 2009 at 11:01 pm, Glidedon said:

The Licoln comparisons are correct, Obama will also preside over a Civil War.
#622158

On February 13th, 2009 at 11:43 pm, havok said:

Hey Eagle…here is your common sense lesson for the day:

If you don’t want to listen to something be a big boy and turn it off.
#622214

On February 14th, 2009 at 8:47 am, DannoJyd said:

I’ve got an idea. We need to start a pre-emptive slew of lawsiuts against those who publicly support the Marxist ‘Hush Rush’ Bill. Whatever form it takes it will infringe on our First Ammendment Rights so suing at this time would be consistant with protecting this right, and could put those politicians in a very difficult position. Who wants to run for political office with the tag of being sued for attacking our constitutional rights around their necks?
#622275

On February 14th, 2009 at 11:26 am, ChicagoRobb said:

I’m “totally” for the Fairness Doctrine.Ellen, here is your new co-host Dr. Laura. Oprah, here is your new co-host, Star Parker. Keith Olbermann, meet G. Gordon Liddy. And of course, the View gets it’s new member, Ann Coulter.
#622598

On February 14th, 2009 at 7:00 pm, Marie said:

Humph… here’s to the new black market. Too busy to fill out the forms!
#622623

On February 14th, 2009 at 8:09 pm, wayiwalk said:

don’t forget the gov’t stole the airwaves from the man who invented the radio!
#623176

On February 16th, 2009 at 3:28 am, PavePusher said:

Apparently Sen. Harkin doesn’t know how to do basic research in the Information Age, or hire a staff to do it for him. He is either a fool or a liar. I’ll let him pick…

Friday the 13th Fairness Doctrine Watch

It’s Friday the 13th. Jason is a Democrat wielding his knife against conservative talk radio. They are all coming out of the woodwork now.

Harkin:

Iowa Senator Tom Harkin, a Democrat, defends his support of bringing back the Fairness Doctrine for broadcasting. The doctrine had required radio and television stations to cover controversial issues of public importance and give and opportunity for all sides to be heard.

The Fairness Doctrine was eliminated in 1987, but calls for reviving it had surfaced again recently. Harkin says it’s something he supports. Harkin says a few years ago he found out that the taxpayer funded Armed Forces Radio was running the Rush Limbaugh show, but weren’t running any “progressive” talk.

“So I came out and said if the taxpayers are paying for it, at least our armed services individuals ought to have at least the benefit of hearing the other side of the story, to quote Paul Harvey,” Harkin says. Conservatives like Iowa Congressman Steve King, a Republican, believe the move is an attempt to silence conservatives like Limbaugh. King issued a statement in response to Harkin saying information is now easily accessible in many forms and the Senator “wants to squelch your First Amendment rights in favor of Chinese-style censorship.”

Harkin says he’s just trying to be fair.

A quick search from a .mil computer reveals:

http://www.afneurope.net/DynamicMenu/Radio/AFNPowerNetworkSchedule/tabid/702/Default.aspx

Power Network Schedule

MONDAY – FRIDAY SCHEDULE

0000 Pure Gold Oldies
0300 Country Hits
0500 ESPN Game Night – Live
0600 AFN Morning Newswatch – Live
0900 Power Talk Mornings
Mon. Perspective
Tue. Newsweek on Air
Wed. Car Talk
Thu. Sound Money
Fri. Parents Journal
1000 NPR or AFN OpenLine, when scheduled
Mon. On The Media
Tue. – Fri. Fresh Air
1100 NPR Morning Edition – Live
1300 ESPN “Mike & Mike in the Morning” – Live
1400 AFN Evening Newswatch & Connections – Live
1800 Rush Limbaugh – Live
1900 Dr. Laura Schlessinger
1945 Paul Harvey News and Commentary
2000 NPR Talk of the Nation – Live
2100 Ed Shultz
2200 NPR All Things Considered – Live

SATURDAY SCHEDULE

0000 Pure Gold Oldies
0600 NPR All Things Considered
0800 Sports Overnight America
1100 AP Newscast
1105 CBS World News Roundup
1145 AP Sports
1147 Dave Ramsey
1148 Our Ocean Report
1150 Bloomberg Market Report
1151 Engines of Our Ingenuity
1155 Paul Harvey Rest of the Story
1200 Kim Kommando Computers
1300 American Country Countdown
1700 Country Hits
1800 NPR Weekend Edition
2000 Pure Gold Oldies
2300 Country Hits

SUNDAY SCHEDULE

0000 Country Hits
0300 Pure Gold Oldies
0700 Sports Overnight America
1100 Car Talk
1200 Prairie Home Companion
1400 NPR Weekend Edition
1600 Justice Talking
1700 Fresh Air Weekend
1800 Marketplace Money
1900 Country Hits

http://www.afnkorea.net/DynamicMenu/AFNYongsan/Radio/ThunderAMSchedule/tabid/111/Default.aspx

Thunder AM Schedule

Monday

0100 Classic Rock Adult Rock and Roll

0400 Country 80’s, 90’s andToday

0700 News/Feature NPR All Things Considered

0830 News ABC News This Week

0900 Sports Talk Sporting News Radio

1000 Classic Rock Adult Rock and Roll

1400 Country 80’s, 90’s andToday

1600 PM News Block

AP Newscast

AFN-BC Sportspage

Character Counts

Katie Couric

NPR News

All Hands Radio News

Osgood File #2

Paul Harvey News & Commentary

Pacific Report

CNN Radio News

Air Force Report #2

Timeline

AFN-BC Sportspage 2:00

Pentagon Channel Report #1

Looking at the Law

Your Dollars

Kim Komando

Prescription for Health

Living Well

Our Ocean World

Food in a Flash

Paul Harvey’s Rest of the Story

Bloomberg Market Minute

Profile America

Wired Magazine

Pentagon Channel Report # 2

Stardate

Today’s Travel Minute

Soldier’s Radio News # 1

1700 Country 80’s, 90’s andToday

1900 Talk Dr. Laura

2000 Sports Talk Mike & Mike in the Morning

2100 News/Feature NPR Morning Edition

2200 Talk Radio Rush Limbaugh

2300 Talk Radio Ed Schultz Show

2400 News Block

AP Newscast

Sporting News Radio Sports

Bankrate Finance Minute

Eckstein on Pets

Kim Komando

Christy the Wordsmith

ABC News

Military News

Wired Magazine

Sound Bytes

NASCAR Today

Banmiller on Business

Prescription for Health

Fox News

Motoring Minute

Profile America

Bloomberg Market Minute

Charles Osgood File #2

Military News

CNN Radio News

Medical Journal

Report to Consumers

Sports Byline USA w/Ron Barr

I’ll give the MSM the benefit of assuming they are politically neutral (yeah, right!) but, if one parts the forest, the trees may be viewed, with a little effort.
#623307

On February 16th, 2009 at 10:02 am, frostrt said:

On February 14th, 2009 at 11:26 am, ChicagoRobb said:
I’m “totally” for the Fairness Doctrine.Ellen, here is your new co-host Dr. Laura. Oprah, here is your new co-host, Star Parker. Keith Olbermann, meet G. Gordon Liddy. And of course, the View gets it’s new member, Ann Coulter.

————————————–

Now THAT, I would watch.