Kowabunga

Over on Captains Quarters, Cap'n Ed writes about Kucinich and his plans to revive the FCC Fairness Doctrine. Rep. Dennis Kucinich (D-OH) announced over the weekend that he would be heading a House subcommittee that will be focusing on the FCC. FMQB has the details:

The Presidential candidate said that the committee would be holding "hearings to push media reform right at the center of Washington." The Domestic Policy Subcommittee of the House Government Reform Committee was to be officially announced this week in Washington, D.C., but Kucinich opted to make the news public early.

In addition to media ownership, the committee is expected to focus its attention on issues such as net neutrality and major telecommunications mergers. Also in consideration is the "Fairness Doctrine," which required broadcasters to present controversial topics in a fair and honest manner. It was enforced until it was eliminated in 1987.

Kucinich said in his speech that "We know the media has become the servant of a very narrow corporate agenda" and added "we are now in a position to move a progressive agenda to where it is visible."

The Fairness Doctrine was a tool to force broadcasters that allowed political punditry, opinion makers, would have to provide equal time for all points of view, in the public interest.

When the Fairness Doctrine was terminated during the Reagan Administration, this provided for the resurgence of the AM radio band that was on it's way to extinction, as FM radio had become the dominate radio band of choice for broadcasting. The end of the Fairness Doctrine set things in motion as it gave birth to political talk radio and the rise of Rush Limbaugh, who led the charge. Many others followed in Limbaugh's wake.

What would be the net impact of the return of the Fairness Doctrine? The end of political talk radio. As liberal/leftist ideas have failed to gain traction on talk radio and compete head-to-head in the American Spirit of Free Enterprise, while conservative ideas continue to dominate on the airwaves (both AM and FM now).

Bringing back the Fairness Doctrine would kill conservative political talk on the radio. Air America would lose as well, but few people, aside from Al Franken, would miss it. Reinstating this doctrine would squelch open debate on the airwaves (every conservative talk show I have listened to have routinely had callers and guests from the political left), and put yet another nail into the coffin of Free Speech.

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Fairness Doctrine Dennis Kucinich FCC