Senator Debbie Stabenow Wants Congressional Hearings On The Fairness Doctrine
Apparently Senator Debbie Stabenow wants to call broadcasters before Congress to have them explain why there’s not more “balance” to the programming on talk radio.
Democratic Senator Debbie Stabenow of Michigan told radio host Bill Press this week that she thought there needs to be more balance in broadcasting and suggested there would be hearings in the Senate during this Congress on possibly reinstating the fairness doctrine.
She was responding to the news that a liberal radio station in Washington had closed and as part of a discussion about the dwindling number of those stations in the face of the popularity of conservative talk radio.
Asked whether it was time to bring back the fairness doctrine, she said “I think it’s absolutely time to pass a standard. Now, whether it’s called the Fairness Standard, whether it’s called something else.”
She tied it to President Barack Obama’s pledge of more accountability and transparency, saying “I think in this case, there needs to be some accountability and standards put in place.”
Press asked her whether she could be counted on to push for hearings and she answered: “I have already had discussions with colleagues and, you know, I feel like that’s gonna happen, yep.”
I’m sure the fact that Stabenow’s husband, Todd Athans, is the executive VP of liberal talk radio network Air America and would stand to gain substantially from any Congressional mandate on talk radio content has nothing to do with this.
As for the hearings, isn’t the reason obvious? Americans don’t want liberal talk radio. They get enough liberal media from NBC and CBS and ABC and the New York Times and the Associated Press (among others). The liberal radio station that failed in Washington DC that’s referred to by Stabenow above was the one called “Obama 1260″ that featured Ed Schultz (among others) and couldn’t even survive in one of the most liberal enclaves in America during a time of Obama-themed mania.
If people wanted liberals on talk radio there wouldn’t be any need for Congress to mandate liberals on talk radio. And if Americans don’t want it, what business does Congress have in doing it?



