Thursday
Feb262009
Fairness Doctrine blocked by U.S. Senate
Thursday, February 26, 2009 at 5:01PM
By Suzia van Swol, University of New Mexico-Talk Radio News Service
During a press briefing on the fairness doctrine, Senator Jim DeMint (R-S.C.) said that,
“we can celebrate a victory of sorts today, after taking a message to the American people about radio censorship, the potential of muzzling radio talk show hosts. We were able to force a vote this week on the Broadcasters Freedom Act that would bar the FCC from bringing up what is misnamed the fairness doctrine.”
Democrats have offered an alternative to the bill which DeMint said, “closes the front door to the fairness doctrine, the democrat majority has opened the back door for additional mischief by allowing the FCC, and actually telling the FCC that they shall promote and encourage diversity and communication media.” The senator went on to state that, “right now the vote is going on on the floor , but because of the pressure from the American people, both parties are supporting the prohibition against this censorship of free speech and freedom of the press.”
Congressman Greg Walden (R-Ore.) said that fairness doctrine needs to be stopped from coming back because we don’t need the FCC “becoming the nanny police for freedom of speech in America.” Walden said that together with Representative Mike Pence (R-Ind.), he had a provision in the spending bill that “would have precluded the FCC from spending any money to put the fairness doctrine back in place.” However, this language was taken out when the omnibus passed in the house yesterday. Walden stated that he “calls on the House leadership to not strip the language” out of the senate bill.
Following today’s press briefing, the amendment passed by a large majority 87-11.
During a press briefing on the fairness doctrine, Senator Jim DeMint (R-S.C.) said that,
“we can celebrate a victory of sorts today, after taking a message to the American people about radio censorship, the potential of muzzling radio talk show hosts. We were able to force a vote this week on the Broadcasters Freedom Act that would bar the FCC from bringing up what is misnamed the fairness doctrine.”
Democrats have offered an alternative to the bill which DeMint said, “closes the front door to the fairness doctrine, the democrat majority has opened the back door for additional mischief by allowing the FCC, and actually telling the FCC that they shall promote and encourage diversity and communication media.” The senator went on to state that, “right now the vote is going on on the floor , but because of the pressure from the American people, both parties are supporting the prohibition against this censorship of free speech and freedom of the press.”
Congressman Greg Walden (R-Ore.) said that fairness doctrine needs to be stopped from coming back because we don’t need the FCC “becoming the nanny police for freedom of speech in America.” Walden said that together with Representative Mike Pence (R-Ind.), he had a provision in the spending bill that “would have precluded the FCC from spending any money to put the fairness doctrine back in place.” However, this language was taken out when the omnibus passed in the house yesterday. Walden stated that he “calls on the House leadership to not strip the language” out of the senate bill.
Following today’s press briefing, the amendment passed by a large majority 87-11.
The delay to digital tv
This was said at a hearing held by the Communications, Technology and Internet Subcommittee with participants such as Congressman Cliff Stearns (R-FL) and Anna Gomez, Acting Assistant Secretary for Communications and Information U.S. Department of Commerce.
Copps explained that to help America make the transition, a lesson from the past has to be learn. He said that that is the reason that the FCC-team now focuses much more on customer education, since it presented past problems.
Stearns discussed the digital transition in many states and that it had been implemented successfully. He said that five percent of the Americans were not able to make the transition and suggested that a solution would be to help only these five percent. In that way, the rest of the money invested in the FCC program could be repaid and cost efficiency would occur, said Stearns.
Gomez responded that money that is not being used in making the transition easier will be repaid. Gomez also stated that the extending of the transition was necessary and that America will be much more prepared for it in June. Gomez said, “Working together we can get the Digital Television Transition right. The American people deserve nothing less."