What would the Framers do?

There's nothing fair about the "fairness" doctrine. The free market determines if a radio show will get good ratings and thus survive. Since when has NBC, ABC, CBS, CNN, etc... been fair?

There is a group on facebook I joined and a few other ones. Lane, they are only trying to stop Fox, Christian Radio and TV and Conservative Talk Radio.

This is not fair

This is censorship.

It is the Gov't instilling itself once again into private individuals and violating the Constitution that our Founding Fathers fought and died for.  The Censorship they are talking about does not apply to Main Stream Media.

Watch out the politically correct label is LOCALISM.

I don't think that the founding fathers would see anything fair about the fairness doctrine.

200+ years ago a person could stand on the Town square and speak. If people liked what they heard they would listen.  They might even come back the next day to hear more!

Current technology is just a highly amplified version of the Town square speech.  Commentators and newscasters speak.  If they like what they hear then they come back for more. 

Every single talk radio host that I have heard allows opposing viewpoints.  Usually they encourage because it makes the show more interesting.

How could the fairness doctrine possibly be applied?  Would it apply to MSNBC? The Huffington Post?  Or only to conservative Talk radio?

Keith Olberman has built his show around his liberal opinions. I have no problem with that. More power to him.  He has a reasonably large following and he makes no bones that what he offers is opinion.  I can choose to watch his show or not.  How will he feel when he has to start offering conservative guest equal time??

BTW, with the current guard in DC, I think the fairness doctrine is only the stroke of the pen away from happening. If they can get 60 Senators to agree then Congress and the Pres will sign off on it.

For those who think the fairness doctrine is fair .. be carefull what you wish for.

Lane - The Founding Fathers knew the importance of communications in all its forms and would have protected all modern forms of communications if they could have for seen 200+ years in the future. 

We must hold to the Original Intent of what they have given us.

I am very afraid of anything posing as a 'Fairness Doctrine'. Unfortunately I believe, as Bob does, that it may well come to pass under the current administration. We have already seen a sharp turn to the left (even under Republicans) that is leading to the socialization of our country. There is not a sacialist country on the planet that allows freedom of the press and we will be no different. Dissenting and opposing views cannot be tolerated and blogs will be no different. You think it's a far reach from being able to censor profanity and racist comments to being able to filter out just the politically incorrect? Not at all. I believe the Framers would be aghast. They were the revolutionaries and freedom fighters of their day and I can just imagine Paul Revere updated to the 21st century - 1 tweet if by land, 2 if by sea... Fairness indeed.

Good Post, and excellent comment by Bob.

Where and how do you draw the line if this fairness doctrine is adapted? Does freedom of speech mean equal time? Do you compromise true freedoms when you attempt to regulate them?

In the end, ratings determine who gets the most airtime. Olberman has a platform because he has an audience. This doesn't validate his opinions, it simply means that enough people agree with him, or at least are intrigued enough to listen, to keep him on the air. Bill O'Reilly has a following despite espousing totally different beliefs. Hopefully, the listener is intelligent enough to make a determination as to the validity of these opinions based upon his own value system.   

Maybe we should just put Olberman and O'Riley on the same show together. I can see it now. After Olbermann goes on for while, O'Riley says, "Keith, you ignorant slut...."

I agree with Team Knowles on their take on the fairness doctrine. I think also that the founding fathers would say let the listeners choose who they listen to. If they don't like it ...turn it off.  That is what I do.

Lane - I'm by no means a conservative (though some of my ideals and beliefs do fit that bill) but I think from what I know that this Doctrine should sleep with the fishes.  Radio is biased to the right, television is biased to the left, so be it.  There are so many beliefs and ideals all over the board and that's the intrical part of the beauty of our nation.  For if it not for the diverse nature of our shared spectrums of thinking, what a dour and stagnant existence we would live.