Fairness Doctrine Redux

Tom Taylor Radio Info: A new Fairness Doctrine might be up to the next FCC Chairman – Julius Genachowski. White House advisor David Axelrod tells Chris Wallace on “Fox News Sunday” that “I’m going to leave that issue to Julius Genachowski, our head of the FCC” – which makes that the first time I can recall the Administration confirming all the speculation about Genachowski’s nomination. Genachowski (“Gin-a-COW-ski”) is an Obama pal from their days on the Harvard Law Review and a onetime FCC staffer. But we don’t know much about his feelings re: the broadcast rules. He’s expected to be far more interested in new media questions like net neutrality – keeping the Internet flowing to all, as it is now. What’s ironic about a Fox News Channel personality asking the “fairness doctrine” question is that Fox, as a cable channel, wouldn’t be subject to it. But a bunch of people in the News Corp. building – Sean Hannity, for one – would face it on their broadcast radio shows. And certainly the revival of some kind of fairness mandate has kept hearts aflutter in the conservative talk world for months. David Axelrod’s answer to Wallace was “I don’t have an answer for you now.” But he didn’t say “no”, did he?



A liberal Huffington Post blogger continues to laugh at Republicans fearing a reconstituted Fairness Doctrine.

But if there's no validity to it, why are Dems like Pelosi, Clintons H & B, Dianne Feinstein, Dick Durbin, Henry Waxman, lame Debbie Stabenow, liberal talk show hosts, and others invoking the F-word?

Congressional Republicans should bag the Broadcasters Freedom Act. How many time must I tell you that a new Fairness Doctine ain't happenin'????? The train left the station more than 20 years ago when the FCC repealed it.

To Tom Taylor: How do you know Fox News "wouldn't be subject to it?" Since cable is so ubiquitous (the prevailing excuse is that cable is subscriber-based but you can't get ANY TV without cable), why shouldn't cable TV be in the FCC's vise grip? Cable news is nothing more than talk radio with pictures.

Dems, be careful for what you wish...