censorship

Liberals in Congress are again threatening to reintroduce the so-called Fairness Doctrine to FCC requirements.

The “balanced programming” concept was first introduced in 1949, in part because the public airwaves were scarce, had limited content, and supposedly needed to reflect diversity of viewpoints. It was eliminated by President Reagan.

But media scarcity today is hardly a problem. We have AM radio, FM radio, satellite radio, broadcast television, cable television, and the Internet. Licensees respond to consumer preferences and interest because of audience size and ratings. Radio and television programs that attract listeners succeed, and those that don't fail.

Forcing a diet of “pro and con” content will actually stifle free speech and drive successful stations off the air, as consumers “vote” to use a content medium which they prefer and with which they agree.

In a free land, we don’t need or want viewpoint censorship!