Talk-show lawmaker seeks to block Fairness Doctrine
By Jeremy P. Jacobs at TheHill
A leading Republican lawmaker, himself a talk show host, is seeking to prevent the FCC using taxpayer money to force broadcasters to offer contrasting views on the airwaves.
The so-called Fairness Doctrine has not been enforced since Ronald Reagan was president, and Congress two years ago voted overwhelmingly to prevent its return.
But Rep. Mike Pence (R-Ind.), chairman of the House Republican Conference, who has guest-hosted Laura Ingraham's conservative radio talk show, is concerned that on March 6, when the stopgap measure funding the government expires, Democrats could force the controversial policy to be put back in place.
The White House has signaled that it has no intention of doing so, although several prominent Democrats have indicated they would support bringing back the policy that would require a conservative talk show host like Rush Limbaugh to balance his program with liberal points of view, and vice versa.
“I think we should all be fair and balanced, don’t you?” Sen. Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) said last fall during an appearance on Fox News.
Pence has drafted an amendment he intends to offer this week to the $410 billion omnibus spending bill would continuing blocking the FCC from resuming the policy. It’s unclear whether Democrats will allow the amendment to be offered as part of the debate.
“Bringing back the Fairness Doctrine today would amount to government control over political views expressed on the public airways,” Pence, who used to host his own radio talk show, said in a statement. “The American people cherish freedom, especially freedom of speech and of the press.”
Congress tried to reinstate the Fairness Doctrine, which was originated in 1949, in 1987 and 1991. In both of those instances Presidents Ronald Reagan and George H.W. Bush killed the efforts by threatening the veto the legislation.
Then, in February of 2005, Rep. Louise Slaughter (D-N.Y.) introduced the measure again. It was referred to the House Energy and Commerce Committee, and then that committee’s subcommittee on Telecommunications and the Internet. It didn’t progress any further from there.
Later that year, Rep. Maurice Hinchey (D-N.Y.) also introduced similar legislation that sought to “restore fairness in broadcasting, and to foster and promote localism, diversity, and competition in the media.” That bill was also referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce and never left that committee.
But in 2007, the House voted overwhelmingly to block the FCC enforcing it with taxpayer funds.
The Fairness Doctrine has become a high profile and controversial issue recently, as several on the right have said Democrats would push the legislation through Congress now that a Democrat is in the White House.
“While a permanent ban is ideal,” Pence concluded, “in the short-term the Pence amendment would reassure freedom-loving Americans that the national asset of talk radio would remain free from censorship for the next year.”
A leading Republican lawmaker, himself a talk show host, is seeking to prevent the FCC using taxpayer money to force broadcasters to offer contrasting views on the airwaves.
The so-called Fairness Doctrine has not been enforced since Ronald Reagan was president, and Congress two years ago voted overwhelmingly to prevent its return.
But Rep. Mike Pence (R-Ind.), chairman of the House Republican Conference, who has guest-hosted Laura Ingraham's conservative radio talk show, is concerned that on March 6, when the stopgap measure funding the government expires, Democrats could force the controversial policy to be put back in place.
The White House has signaled that it has no intention of doing so, although several prominent Democrats have indicated they would support bringing back the policy that would require a conservative talk show host like Rush Limbaugh to balance his program with liberal points of view, and vice versa.
“I think we should all be fair and balanced, don’t you?” Sen. Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) said last fall during an appearance on Fox News.
Pence has drafted an amendment he intends to offer this week to the $410 billion omnibus spending bill would continuing blocking the FCC from resuming the policy. It’s unclear whether Democrats will allow the amendment to be offered as part of the debate.
“Bringing back the Fairness Doctrine today would amount to government control over political views expressed on the public airways,” Pence, who used to host his own radio talk show, said in a statement. “The American people cherish freedom, especially freedom of speech and of the press.”
Congress tried to reinstate the Fairness Doctrine, which was originated in 1949, in 1987 and 1991. In both of those instances Presidents Ronald Reagan and George H.W. Bush killed the efforts by threatening the veto the legislation.
Then, in February of 2005, Rep. Louise Slaughter (D-N.Y.) introduced the measure again. It was referred to the House Energy and Commerce Committee, and then that committee’s subcommittee on Telecommunications and the Internet. It didn’t progress any further from there.
Later that year, Rep. Maurice Hinchey (D-N.Y.) also introduced similar legislation that sought to “restore fairness in broadcasting, and to foster and promote localism, diversity, and competition in the media.” That bill was also referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce and never left that committee.
But in 2007, the House voted overwhelmingly to block the FCC enforcing it with taxpayer funds.
The Fairness Doctrine has become a high profile and controversial issue recently, as several on the right have said Democrats would push the legislation through Congress now that a Democrat is in the White House.
“While a permanent ban is ideal,” Pence concluded, “in the short-term the Pence amendment would reassure freedom-loving Americans that the national asset of talk radio would remain free from censorship for the next year.”
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