Huckleberries Online

WND Poll: Dems To Regulate Radio?

Feb. 12, 2009 8:05 a.m. • 15 comments

Do you believe Democrats when they say they’re not planning to regulate talk radio?/WorldNetDaily (WND news report here)

Yes, the Democrats are the party of truth - they have no reason to lie
Yes, Democrats are incapable of lying
Yes, but it’s an idea that needs to be pursued
I hope they don’t mean it - the Fairness Doctrine is something that’s desperately needed
Some Democrats will push for it - indeed, they already have - but it won’t go anywhere

I don’t see why everyone’s so worked up over this - what’s wrong with fairness?
No, Democrats can’t accept the truth coming from any segment of the media that rejects the party line
No, but it won’t be overt - they will pursue subtle, gradual steps under the name of local control
I hope they’re lying - their power grab will only strengthen talk radio and the alternative press
No, when it comes to Democrats, they’re lying every time their lips move
No, and I believe they will try to censor more than just talk radio
No, the Democrats have tipped their hand - they’re seeking perpetual power
Other

15 comments on this post so far. Add yours!

Liz on February 12 at 9:21 a.m.
I know that there are certain sectors that will do anything to bully people into their agenda.
I don’t have a problem with a free marketplace of ideas. It is what America is built on. Stifling certain ideas is based on fear and a need to control the populace in case they don’t cotton to your ideas..so much for democracy….However, that doesn’t come from forcing individual outlets to give a blow by blow of equal time…
That said, are they so stupid as to not realize that it goes both ways??? Not only will christian radio stations have to air pro gay and pro abortion viewpoints, but NPR will have to give equal time to opinions that they abhorr as well….
I think that the conservatives who find this whole concept to be highly disturbing need to just keep pointing out that what’s good for the goose is good for the gander…that just might kill it in its tracks…
toadman on February 12 at 9:42 a.m.
No. They aren’t going to regulate talk radio, even though it’s an incendiary device of the right wing to stir up fear among the simple minded.

If it was me, I’d shut that crap down, immediately. But hey, I’m not in charge….yet.

;-)
Sisyphus on February 12 at 10:31 a.m.
Hmmmm. One, the fairness doctrine does not target talk radio, but the right wing talk show hosts are deathly afraid of it. Two, the reason that nobody is squawking on the left is cause they’re not afraid of it. What does that tell you? They wouldn’t have to change what they’re doing now. I’m certainly unaware of a topic NPR abhors, except perpetuating ignorance. Three, don’t confuse the fairness doctrine with the equal time rule. They’re different and deal with different subject matters.

The doctrine does not stifle ideas, it encourages both ideas of a controversy to be presented in a single forum. See, talk radio on the right doesn’t do present all sides and they don’t wanna. Murdoch killed the fairness doctrine and Fox News was the result. Check the timeline.

Democracy requires an informed electorate to function properly. Getting only half the story does not make us informed. And allowing market forces to decide seems a sure recipe for promoting sensationalism and acrimony in broadcasts. I long for the days when American news broadcasts were delivered by people you trusted on issues that mattered. That was before 1987.
Me on February 12 at 10:48 a.m.
I listen to talk radio occaisionally so that automatically makes me a non informed electorate? I have listened to left talk radio too. It usually ‘inflames’ me, my blood pressure goes up and I turn it off.

I frankly don’t care what they do short of shutting down talk radio completely. I listen to Bill Handel which is a law advice show and sometimes the Mike O’Meara show which is comedy. It isn’t ALL right-wing wacko stuff.

Talk radio isn’t NEWS broadcasts.
misc on February 12 at 10:55 a.m.
Why is it that the Right needs a constant infusion of boogeymen to function properly? No one is talking about regulating talk radio. Ya’ll on the right apparently need a reason to keep your undergarments in a bunch.

Relax that bunch, I say. It feels better.
Charlie on February 12 at 11:47 a.m.
My radios and TV’s have off/on switches and they also have a method to change stations. Don’t need the “fairness doctrine”. Wouldn’t the fairness doctrine conflict with the 1st amendment? Somebody just wants to hush Rush.
Sisyphus on February 12 at 11:57 a.m.
No the fairness doctrine has held up to several first amendment challenges. I think the contrast between broadcasting pre-1987 and post really demonstrates the need. And no, Obama has elevated Rush to spokesman for the Republican Party. The last thing Democrats want to do is silence him. I think Rush’s head spinning like Linda Blair’s in the exorcist when the subject comes up says much more about the issue.
thawtfulreader on February 12 at 12:09 p.m.
As is typical, the second paragraph of the WND story is completely wrong. The Fairness Doctrine did NOT EVER require equal time be alloted to conservative and liberal opinion.

The EQUAL TIME rule, which originated in the 1927 Radio Act, and the 1934 Communications Act, required media (with numerous exceptions) to provide equal time to opposing political candidates for office. If a station gave a free minute of time to one political candidate, they had to give a free minute of time to the other. If it was paid political advertising, they had to charge the same rate for both candidates.

WND likes to just plain make stuff up in order to get its readers all hyped up over nothing more than lies. Whip the rubes up into a frenzy. Day in, and day out.

« Back to Huckleberries Online

You must be logged in to post comments.
Please create a profile or log in here.

About this blog

D.F. Oliveria is a columnist and blogger for The Spokesman-Review. Huckleberries Online was judged the best 2008 Idaho newspaper blog by the Idaho Press Club. And the best 2007 news blog in the Pacific Northwest by the Society for Professional Journalist. Print Huckleberries is a past winner of the Herb Caen Memorial Column contest by the National Association of Newspaper Columnists. The Readership Institute of Northwestern University cited this blog as a good example of online community journalism.