Corporate/RW Media - Fighting Media Owner Diversity By Attacking The "Fairness Doctrine" Strawman

[Median Democrat]

Corporate/RW Media - Fighting Media Ownership Diversity By Attacking The "Fairness Doctrine" Strawman

You may agree or disagree with the fairness doctrine, which was an attempt to ensure that all coverage of controversial issues by a broadcast station be balanced and fair. The FCC took the view, in 1949, that station licensees were "public trustees," and as such had an obligation to afford reasonable opportunity for discussion of contrasting points of view on controversial issues of public importance. The Commission later held that stations were also obligated to actively seek out issues of importance to their community and air programming that addressed those issues. With the deregulation sweep of the Reagan Administration during the 1980s, the Commission dissolved the fairness doctrine.

The fairness doctrine was and is controversial, and strong arguments can be made for reviving it. However, Dick Durbin's proposed amendment does not re-implement the fairness doctrine. Instead, it just requires the FCC to promote "diversity in communication media ownership":

/snip

SEC.9 FCC Authorities. (a) Clarification of General Powers. – Title III of the Communications Act of 1934 is amended by inserting after section 303 (47 U.S.C. 303) the following new section:

SEC.303B. Clarification of General Powers. (a) Certain Affirmative Actions Required – The Commission shall take actions to encourage and promote diversity in communication media ownership and to ensure that broadcast station licenses are used in the public interest. …

/snip

The Durbin Amendment says nothing about the fairness doctrine. It talks about media ownership. However, the right wing media is not letting facts get in their way, as they carry out the will of the media's corporate owners. In various right wing sources, a whisper campaign has begun to attack efforts to diversify media ownership, and fight the growth of media monopolies, by characterizing such efforts as censorship and a revival of the fairness doctrine. This campaign of lies is similar to the efforts to brand Obama's relatively modest tax increases on wealthy Americans in 2011 socialism.

Here is a sampling of the disinformation campaign, which is going on to undermine efforts to promote diversity in media ownership:

Inhofe Warns Broadcaster Licenses Could Be Revoked Under "Durbin Doctrine"

http://www.americanchronicle.com/articles/view/94010

With Limbaugh Battles Raging, Republicans Unite Behind Media Freedom

http://www.dcexaminer.com/politics/With-Limbaugh-Battles-Raging-Republicans-Unite-Behind-Media-Freedom-40580382.html

Bozell: Disavow Durbin's Fairness Doctrine Amendment

http://www.newsmax.com/headlines/bozell_durbin_doctrine/2009/03/05/188805.html

Pelosi Backs Talk Radio Regulations

http://www.newsmax.com/headlines/pelosi_durbin_amendment/2009/03/08/189685.html

MRC's Bozell: FCC Nominees Must Vow to Protect Talk Radio Before Confirmation

http://newsbusters.org/blogs/nb-staff/2009/03/04/mrcs-bozell-fcc-nominees-must-vow-protect-talk-radio-confirmation


If there was any doubt that the right wing noise machine is merely carrying out the will of its corporate owners, then this strawman campaign should dispose of such doubt. You may agree or disagree with fairness doctrine, but Durbin's Amendment does not re-impose the fairness doctrine. It merely promotes diversity in media ownership, which threatens the ability of Big Media to grow their media monopolies.

[FrenchieCat]

1. But, but, but...I thought Republicans hated the Liberal Media!

Wouldn't they want it to diversify and break up?

I mean, we've got Kramer doing a tour of every single General Electric owned shows on multiple channels attempting to defend himself! :eyes:

[Median Democrat]

3. GE CFO Appears ON CNBC To Pump Up GE, Which Owns (You Guessed It) CNBC!

Funny that you happen to mention GE, CNBC and Jim Cramer. Here's a story on the "economic informericial known as CNBC." If they aren't blaming everything under the sun on Obama, they are kissing up to corporate American, including their parent corporation, General Electric:

http://www.buzzflash.com/articles/node/7906

/snip

We know this because Joe Nocera --the old-style real kind of financial journalist from the NYT who professionally dissected A.I.G. on "The Daily Show" the night that Jon Stewart decimated CNBC -- wrote a March 6th article in the NYT entitled, "Behind the Curtain at G.E." In that analysis of G.E.'s plummeting prospects, Nocera wrote:

“GE Capital,” wrote Nicholas P. Heymann and Matthew Kelley, two bearish analysts at Sterne Agee, “is now confronting the prospect that a downward trend in fundamental performance, fueled by weakening end markets and magnified by several liquidity constraints, could potentially lead to an extended period of steadily lower earnings, depleted loss provisions, lower credit ratings, rising borrowing costs” ... well, you get the picture. Mr. Heymann, who has followed G.E. for 27 years, issued his report on Tuesday morning — just two business days after G.E. cut its previously sacrosanct dividend by two-thirds.

Within 24 hours of Mr. Heymann’s report, the company’s stock, which had been $17 a share just a couple of months ago, dropped to under $6: “That’s a scary number for G.E.,” said Richard Hofmann, an analyst with CreditSights who is also a G.E. bear. The credit-default swaps spread suggested that investors were worried about default.

But when you own the media, you always have a megaphone for hyping up your faltering financial condition.

So it was hardly a surprise that as CNBC blames Obama for not cheerleading on an underperforming market (because of mismanagement and greedy financial plays by many CEOs and their manangement teams of "bonus baby" con artists), it also -- according to Nocera -- gives its parent company, GE, a national television audience to tout "how well" it is doing.

/snip

[Triana]

2. Is this "Durbin Amendment" the same as this thing?

The "Broadcaster Freedom Act" which essentially PREVENTS ANY PRESIDENT / FCC FROM EVER REINSTATING THE FAIRNESS DOCTRINE?

http://www.humanevents.com/article.php?id=26968

"The BFA would prevent the FCC from implementing regulations and prohibitions on broadcasters, and would ensure that no future President could reinstate the Fairness Doctrine."

MORE:

http://www.govtrack.us/congress/bill.xpd?bill=s111-34

"A bill to prevent the Federal Communications Commission from repromulgating the fairness doctrine."

In OTHER words, this "Broadcaster Freedom Act" is a way for the corprats and Republicans be INSURE that their views and ONLY THEIR VIEWS continue to dominate public airwaves, blocking all others....


OR is the Durbin amendment something different?


I'm confused.

[Median Democrat]

4. Nooo! Totally Different! Pence Is A Republican. Durbin is a Democrat

Two entirely different things by two entirely different conggressman from two different parties. The folks sponsoring the bill you mention are a Republican whose who:

Mr. DEMINT (for himself, Mr. INHOFE, Mr. THUNE, Mr. ALEXANDER, Mr. BARRASSO, Mr. BOND, Mr. BROWNBACK, Mr. CHAMBLISS, Mr. COBURN, Mr. CORNYN, Mr. CRAPO, Mr. ENSIGN, Mr. ENZI, Mr. GRAHAM, Mrs. HUTCHISON, Mr. ISAKSON, Mr. KYL, Mr. LUGAR, Mr. MARTINEZ, Mr. MCCONNELL, Mr. ROBERTS, Mr. SESSIONS, Mr. VITTER, Mr. VOINOVICH, and Mr. WICKER) introduced the following bill; which was read the first time

[Triana]

5. Good. Thanks. So Durbin's is different...

which explains why they (Pigshits) hate it.

BEWARE this Republican "Broacaster Freedom Act" though - it was snuck into the DC Voting Rights bill which passed in the Senate a while back. Totally unrelated but apparently they rammed it in there - unbeknownst to any of us and of COURSE the lame$tream Republican/corprat-pwned media hasn't mentioned it. It's a well-kept secret.

[KharmaTrain]

6. The Durbin Ammendment Helps Take Back Our Airwaves

Yes, the "Fairness Doctrine" is a rushpublican strawman. The Pence piece of shit wsa intended to prevent the a station from changing format no matter what the ratings were or even an ownership change...guaranteed to protect the hate spewers and give them a privilidged place over all else.

The Durbin Ammendment is the first important step in reregulating the CONTROL of the airwaves...taking it out of the hands of the vested few and returning it to more localized control. It'd do the same to radio that nationaliizing the banks would...break up the mega corporations and promote local and diverse ownership that used to exist in radio.

A big reason the right wing hates this idea is they have benefitted greatly from Telcom '96...it led to the establishment of Faux Noise and allowed companies like Clear Channel to monopolize ownership, and with it, propogate hate radio across the country. Clear Channel is owned by a bunch of "booooosh pioneers" (and donated generously) and are gonna make sure their contributions protect their investments...despite the fact the company is choking on debt and declining revenues.

Here's hoping my senior senator is successful in getting his Ammendment passed...the first step in helping America take its airwaves back.

[Median Democrat]

8. Notably, None Of The Networks Are Covering This, Worse...

The only coverage is coming from right wing media circles who are attacking it by mischaracterizing it as a re-imposition of the fairness doctrine.

[alwysdrunk]

7. One of the things Ihate about the fairness doctrtine BS

I sthat it can be used this was. Media diversity is a very real issue that needs to be addressed and has popular support. The fairness doctrine is a DOA proposal churned up by some liberals who are jealous of RW radio. The two thing should have nothing to do with each other.