I POSTED too soon, sorry about that. after I had posted I saw the news. It is still an interesting thought though, is the Fairness Doctrine something that has merit or should it be relegated to the round file of bad ideas?

This is from a February 18, 2009 article at Huffington Post:

President Obama opposes any move to bring back the so-called Fairness Doctrine, a spokesman told FOXNews.com Wednesday.

The statement is the first definitive stance the administration has taken since an aide told an industry publication last summer that Obama opposes the doctrine — a long-abolished policy that would require broadcasters to provide opposing viewpoints on controversial issues.

“As the president stated during the campaign, he does not believe the Fairness Doctrine should be reinstated,” White House spokesman Ben LaBolt told FOXNews.com………..

1. if they can do it to the right they can do it to the left when administrations change and I can tell you from where I sit the right is pretty pissed right now and I dont trust them to have any regard for the constitution if they regain office (based on recently being shown the light). I could see them going after “liberal” news outlets with much gusto.
2. since this is an issue of free speech could this not also apply to colleges and universities and certainly to network news and news papers and magazines?
3. could this constrict flow of information on the internet as well?
4. is this a direct violation of free speech or would it come under commerce?
5. could satellite radio or internet radio be effected?

is this over reaching government? As a person from the conservative (old style liberal) side of the asile this concerns me from a first amendment perspective. The McCain/Finegold bill bothered me too. Anyone, thoughts? Or am I just being a right wing whiney bitch.

“An Obama senior adviser has indicated that the administration is mulling whether the controversial Fairness Doctrine will get a new lease on life, according to a report in Broadcasting and Cable.

The now defunct Fairness Doctrine, if revived, could be used by a liberal administration to silence Rush Limbaugh, Sean Hannity and other radio talk show hosts, as well as much of the new alternative media. The doctrine required broadcasters to report both sides of controversial issues. The Federal Communications Commission dropped it in 1987.

Asked by Chris Wallace on “Fox News Sunday” whether he would rule out reimposing the doctrine, White House senior adviser David Axelrod responded: “I’m going to leave that issue to Julius Genachowski, our new head of the FCC, and the president to discuss, so I don’t have an answer for you now.”

This soft position is a departure from a much more definitive posture on the doctrine touted during the Obama campaign in June 2008:

“Senator Obama does not support reimposing the Fairness Doctrine on broadcasters,” press secretary Michael Ortiz said in an e-mail to Broadcasting and Cable at that time.

“He considers this debate to be a distraction from the conversation we should be having about opening up the airwaves and modern communications to as many diverse viewpoints as possible,” Ortiz said.

The specter of a return to the doctrine has enjoyed renewed visibility over the last couple of weeks as leading Democrats have been discussing it more and more.

first of all let me say this has nothing to do with this thread. but i think it is important to all. it concerns the fairness doctrine. granted they want to muffle the right wing talk show hosts, but I think we should all be concerned by this left and right for the following reasons:

“Last week on a radio show, former President Bill Clinton announced that in his opinion something needed to be done to balance broadcasting.

“Well, you either ought to have the fairness doctrine or you ought to have more balance on the other side,” Clinton said, “because essentially there has always been a lot of big money to support the right wing talk shows.”

Clinton targeted the “blatant drumbeat” against the stimulus program from conservative talk radio, saying it doesn’t reflect economic reality, according to Broadcasting and Cable.”

Bristol just spoke truth to a powerful idiot. Good for her!