Sen. Harkin: 'We need the Fairness Doctrine back'

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Link (http://www.politico.com/blogs/michaelcalderone/0209/Sen_Harkin_We_need_the_Fairness_Doctrine_back_.htm l)

Video (http://link.brightcove.com/services/link/bcpid1155201977/bctid10947313001)

Sen. Harkin: 'We need the Fairness Doctrine back'

Just this morning, I reported that Sen. Debbie Stabenow has backed off on the idea of holding hearings for radio accountability, something she discussed last week with liberal radio host Bill Press (leading to an uproar on conservative talk radio over the Fairness Doctrine).

Well today, Sen. Tom Harkin appeared on Press's show and came out in favor of the Fairness Doctrine.

BILL PRESS: And, thanks for your leadership, thanks for your good work, it's great to have you there Senator. And, great to have you on the show. Appreciate it.

SENATOR TOM HARKIN (D-IA): Well, anytime – just let me know Bill. I love being with you, and thanks again for all you do to get the truth and the facts out there. By the way, I read your Op-Ed in the Washington Post the other day. I ripped it out, I took it into my office and said 'there you go, we gotta get the Fairness Doctrine back in law again.'

BILL PRESS: Alright, well good for you. You know, we gotta work on that, because they are just shutting down progressive talk from one city after another. All we want is, you know, some balance on the airwaves, that's all. You know, we're not going to take any of the conservative voices off the airwaves, but just make sure that there are a few progressives and liberals out there, right?

SENATOR TOM HARKIN (D-IA): Exactly, and that's why we need the fair -- that's why we need the Fairness Doctrine back.

BILL PRESS: We'll work on that together. Hey, thanks, Senator! Always good to talk to you.

SENATOR TOM HARKIN (D-IA): Thanks Bill, see you, bye.

Press told me last week that he's hoping Congressional leaders call for hearings on radio accountability, looking at whether stations are honoring the language in their public licenses. But Press also said he thinks the Fairness Doctrine -- in its previous incarnation, at least -- is outdated.

It seems that a lot of Democrats talk up the issue, but then there isn't any legislation that follows.

For instance, Dick Durbin has spoken favorably of bringing back the Fairness Doctrine in the past, but when I contacted his office last week, his press secretary said that he “has no plans to introduce any legislation on the issue, nor is it even on the radar.”

So will Harkin, another advocate, be the one to push the issue forward?

[Doomsday]

radio accountability

I think she meant radio "censorship".

[Real1st]

We need accountability on the Cable News stations.

[ScipioCowboy]

In many ways, this egregious and blatant push for censorship is disconcerting. However, any attempt by the Left to resurrect the Fairness Doctrine could bode well for the Right during the next election cycle. Clearly, many on the Left want the Fairness Doctrine, but their reticence to advance it in Congress suggests that the American public is diametrically opposed to it.

[Cajuncowboy]

BILL PRESS: Alright, well good for you. You know, we gotta work on that, because they are just shutting down progressive talk from one city after another.

No you idiot, you are shutting it down because no one wants to listen to your pablum. :bang2:

I can't believe there are actually morons like this in the world, but well, there are, and they somehow figure out how to vote.

[Danny White]

BILL PRESS: Alright, well good for you. You know, we gotta work on that, because they are just shutting down progressive talk from one city after another. All we want is, you know, some balance on the airwaves, that's all. You know, we're not going to take any of the conservative voices off the airwaves, but just make sure that there are a few progressives and liberals out there, right?



I'd like to parse this statement.

First: "they are just shutting down progressive talk from one city after another."

OK, who is "they"? And how exactly are "they" shutting down progressive talk?

Is he suggesting that there are popular, successful progressive talk shows out there that are being "shut down" by some cabal of powerful right-wingers who can force radio stations to take popular programs off of the air?

Or is the truth that stuff like Air America was never that popular and that no one wanted to listen to it, it couldn't get ratings, so who would want to keep it on the air.

And now I guess the alternative is to force radio stations to carry stuff people don't want to listen to.

Second: "we're not going to take any of the conservative voices off the airwaves, but just make sure that there are a few progressives and liberals out there"

There are two ways to achieve getting liberals on the air. One is to take other programming off in order to make room for them. In that scenario, it's very realistic to imagine conservative voices being removed as a result.

The other is to create more hours in the day, that way you can have all of your existing programming, and add an equal amount of liberals to the airwaves as well. I don't know if Congress has the authority to add hours to the day, so I can only assume that someone is going to have to be taken off the air in order to make room for the new programming.

These guys are so intellectually dishonest it makes your head spin.

[BrAinPaiNt]

:laugh2: :laugh2:

[ScipioCowboy]

No you idiot, you are shutting it down because no one wants to listen to your pablum. :bang2:

I can't believe there are actually morons like this in the world, but well, there are, and they somehow figure out how to vote.

It's the typical Far Left mentality: I'm owed something solely by virtue of somebody else having it (rather than having to earn it myself). Consequently, there needs to be law in place ensuring that I get it even at the expense of other people.