The Fairness Doctrine at Work

Conservative talk radio has been successful, i.e. profitable--and liberal talk radio has not--because of the most basic of reasons: it supplied a market demand. Listeners mean ratings. Ratings mean advertising revenues.

The failure of liberal radio shows to achieve similar success is the underlying motivation behind Democrats' efforts to impose the 'Fairness Doctrine'. Among those who have spoken up for the position are Senators John Kerry and Dick Durbin and Representatives John Dingell, Dennis Kucinich, and Louise Slaughter.

According to Accuracy In Media Editor Cliff Kincaid, with Democrats in control of both the White House and Congress, a Democratic-appointed F.C.C. could easily re-impose the Fairness Doctrine. "This may be what is planned," he told the Cybercast News Service .

Their stated goal: to require every radio station that airs a conservative host, to air an equal, and similarly day-parted, amount of time for a liberal to espouse their views. [snip]

Forced to provide equal time to liberal hosts -- an enterprise that has proved financially ruinous time after time -- broadcasters would soon have to pull the plug on all talk shows that addressed anything 'political', in the process silencing some of the most prominent and influential voices on the right.

And that's what the those supporting the Fairness Doctrine are really after.

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