The Fairness Doctrine will not be reinstated; the big radio
conglomerates like Clear Channel have too much to lose and they have a
lot of influence in Congress. Also, bringing back the Fairness
Doctrine will close down hundreds of radio stations across the country
and put thousands of radio employees out of work as the ad revenues
they are receiving from airing highly rated syndicated talk radio
shows will dry up.
Another reason it will not be brought back because it is fundamentally
flawed; there is no Fairness Doctrine on TV news/opinion shows, no
Fairness Doctrine with respect to Internet Blogs and websites, no
Fairness Doctrine in the news print media, and no Fairness Doctrine in
the book publi****ng industry but we SHOULD have a Fairness Doctrine
for radio only? It comes down to a free speech issue, I believe. I
spent a few years in Radio, and Radio is a business to make money;
they air shows which people will listen to, and do not air shows that
people do not listen to. It is not a public utility; it is ratings
driven. Air America had every op****tunity to succeed and was placed
in a number of major markets and failed in every market due IMO to
hosts who the public just wouldn't listen to, and it was from all
accounts poorly managed. I am in favor of having different opinions
available on the radio, and at some point in the future another
liberally-oriented talk radio network will appear with hosts who can
draw an audience, and I wish them all the luck in the world. But to
punish Rush Limbaugh because people would rather listen to him than
listen to Randi Rhodes is absurd.
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