Senate tunes out Fairness Doctrine, 87-11

It matters not. Localization is the means the dems will attempt to halt free speech.

 

The only thing I have seen recently was that it was being brought up by dems.

 

As I predicted on the recent thread where the worry about this happening was previously brought up, it was never going to happen.

 

If the Fairness Doctorine isn't going to be reinstated, then that's good. :thumbsup:

If the Fairness Doctorine is on a local level, then its up to each person where they live to ensure that it doesn't exist. Of course this won't be as easy.

 

Score one for the Constitution :thumbs: Rare, now-a-days

 

The rest of the story:


http://demint.senate.gov/public/ind...e719-3b58-d60c-59eaf39afd81&Month=2&Year=2009

February 26, 2009 - Washington, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senators Jim DeMint (R-South Carolina), John Thune (R-South Dakota), and James Inhofe (R-Oklahoma) made the following statement after the Senate voted 87-11 to pass the Broadcaster Freedom Amendment to the D.C. Voting Rights Act.

The Broadcaster Freedom Amendment prevents the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) from reinstating the Fairness Doctrine, which would suppress free speech by requiring the government to monitor political views and decide what constitutes fair political discourse.

However, the Senate also passed an amendment by U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-Illinois) that seeks to achieve the same goals of the Fairness Doctrine through backdoor FCC regulations. His legislation forces the FCC to "take actions to encourage and promote diversity in communication media ownership," an attempt to muzzle successful syndicated radio programs. The Durbin amendment would hurt small, local radio stations that depend on popular syndicated programming for listeners and revenue. The Durbin amendment passed 57-41; no Republican supported his legislation.

“Today’s vote slammed the front door on the so-called ‘fairness doctrine,’ which threatens to censor free speech and shut down talk radio,” said Senator DeMint. “When senators were forced to vote in the open on this issue, they were compelled to side with the American people.”

“Today was an important victory for free speech, but the fight is far from over. Senator Durbin’s amendment exposed Democrat intentions to impose radio censorship through the back door using vague regulations dealing with media ownership. Senator Durbin’s language was so broad, it could apply beyond radio to television, newspapers and the internet. All eyes are now on the FCC.