FCC Tries To Hush Rush
The tyranny of “cultural diversity.”
By Jim Boulet Jr. - (NRO)
Thanks to a little-noticed item in the Federal Register, the Federal Communications Commission may soon be handed the power to drive Rush Limbaugh off the air.
There are liberals obsessed with “balancing” Limbaugh, Sean Hannity, Hugh Hewitt, Mark Levin, and the rest of conservative talk radio, even though plenty of other outlets — the Washington Post, the New York Times, USA Today, ABC, CBS, NBC, CNN, MSNBC, PBS, and National Public Radio — constantly flog the liberal agenda.
The “Hush Rush” crowd’s dream has been to revive the so-called “Fairness Doctrine,” which once required any radio station airing a conservative program to provide equal time for the liberal view. The doctrine’s advocates have tried using the democratic process, but to no avail whatsoever: In 2007, the U.S. House of Representatives rejected the latest effort 309 to 115.
Yet regulations proposed on January 28 by the Federal Communications Commission would effectively reinstate the Fairness Doctrine via something called “localism.” This is legislation by stealth — most of the Fairness Doctrine’s opponents might not know about it until it’s too late. All opportunity for public comment on FCC’s proposal ceases on June 11, 2008.
Which isn’t to say it was impossible to see this coming. The Left has long sought new ways of bringing back the Fairness Doctrine, and their latest gambit features a sizable dose of political correctness.
In 2007, the Center for American Progress issued a report, “The Structural Imbalance of Political Talk Radio,” that cleverly recasts the Fairness Doctrine as “localism” by stating that “any effort to encourage more responsive and balanced radio programming will first require steps to increase localism.”
The center’s report also urged quotas by race and sex for radio-station ownership, because a survey of all “10,506 licensed commercial radio stations reveals that stations owned by women, minorities, or local owners are statistically less likely to air conservative hosts or shows.”
The FCC has swallowed the center’s diversity rationale whole. The FCC’s proposed regulations claim that radio station “programming — particularly network programming — often is not sufficiently culturally diverse.” There appears to be an assumption at the FCC that each and every radio station, rather than the radio market as a whole, must embody cultural diversity.
What does “cultural diversity” mean in practice? One witness at an FCC localism hearing actually complained that a “population of 60,000 Somali Americans” in Minneapolis-St. Paul were forced to get by with a mere “10 regularly-produced TV series on vocational training, acculturation, health education and other topics of vital importance” accounting for “approximately 20 hours of programming a week . . . because the community is not deemed to be a viable market.”
This cultural diversity is to be enforced by professional ethnic activists and other perpetual malcontents: All “licensees should convene and consult with permanent advisory boards.” These advisory boards “should include representatives of all segments of the community.”
The FCC has not been specific enough for the Minority Media and Telecommunications Council, which insists, “Broadcasters must reach beyond the business sector and look for leaders in the civic, religious, and non-profit sectors that regularly serve the needs of the community, particularly the needs of minority groups that are typically poorly served by the broadcasting industry as a whole.”)
Radio-station managers know that their job security is endangered by anything that might conceivably cause trouble for the station owners who employ them. Also, those purporting to represent minority interests often take political correctness to new levels. Think of the Council for American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), whose touchiness is already legendary — what would such a group do if legally guaranteed influence over radio programming? CAIR has equally touchy affiliates in 19 states.
Should the FCC prevail, radio stations will return to the sort of programming that predominated during the days of the Fairness Doctrine, only filtered by 2008-style political correctness. Instead of full debate on controversial issues such as amnesty for illegal aliens, AM radio will become a herd of independent minds, a vast “Air America” from sea to shining sea in which never a conservative word is heard.
The FCC’s regulations are so far along that the Bush administration’s proposed rule-making moratorium will not stop them.
Congress could pass a resolution of disapproval. Or, President Bush might ask the FCC to find other things to occupy its time.
Be respectful of others and their opinions. Inflammatory remarks and inane leftist drivel will be deleted. It ain’t about free speech, remember you’re in a private domain. My website, my prerogative.
If you can't handle using your real email address, don't bother posting a comment.
NO ONE is stopping the Libs from having their fair share of yapping on air other than the fact that no one listens to them and free enterprise won’t pay their bills. Their points of view do not sell, their perspectives can’t hold water so they have next to zero in their listening audience. Who’s fault is that? How, may I ask will muzzling talk radio fix anything? The FCC, pressured by the Libs are being total idiots in this. How can they with any semblance of credibility even pursue such crap? Boy, I tell ya, when the Libs get their faces slapped around they sure do cry like babies. When THEY are (girl) slapping at the Conservatives, it’s called balancing things out? The Libs remind me of the kid in grade school who whined and moaned to the teacher whenever they didn’t get their way until the teacher crumbled. Then, once they get their way (or the teacher wasn’t looking) they were the bully. The Libs are such despicable annoying pukes.
June 11th, 2008 at 5:27 pmThe commies wish for the days of old, with only three networks. All controlled by academia.
June 11th, 2008 at 5:27 pmThe revolution is calling. This is the equivalent of book burning.
The Potomac will flow red.
June 11th, 2008 at 5:35 pmNice pic, Drill. I was driving to class one morning, about 2 years ago, and saw that exact sign. I had never been a talk radio listener, but needless to say, the “Liberals Hate It” slogan got me to tune into 560am here in Chicago, and I’ve been an addict ever since.
June 11th, 2008 at 5:36 pmDhimmi agenda: ‘If you can’t beat Amerikkka, Balkanize it.’
“What does “cultural diversity” mean in practice?”
shrug… here’s what it means to me….
[IMG]http://i78.photobucket.com/albums/j97/stars5501/celebrate-1.gif[/IMG]
June 11th, 2008 at 5:45 pmhttp://i78.photobucket.com/albums/j97/stars5501/celebrate-1.gif
June 11th, 2008 at 5:56 pmSteve in NC … I agree. If that happens I will no longer be able to stay seated. I will be grabbing the torch and chalking up the pitchfork tines for my personal march to DC.
June 11th, 2008 at 5:59 pmMy Talk Radio station
640 WHLO Akron
http://www.640whlo.com/main.html
Quinn/Rose The War Room
Glenn Beck
Rush Limbaugh
Hannity
June 11th, 2008 at 6:02 pmSo much for freedom of speech.
June 11th, 2008 at 7:15 pmSome socialists will soon not hear the shot heard round the world. You never hear the one with your name on it.
June 11th, 2008 at 7:41 pmsully
Dhimmi agenda: ‘If you can’t beat Amerikkka, Balkanize it.’
[IMG]http://i78.photobucket.com/albums/j97/stars5501/celebrate-1.gif[/IMG]
Post amnesty amerika:
The balkanization begins:
Homophilia confederacy==Northeast states.Ma/Ver/Mass.N.Y. etc
Rughead caliphate== North central states.Mich/Ohio/Ind/etc.
Prarie collective==Northern plains states. Minn/wisc/Iowa/dakotas.
Kwanza Krall==Southeast states. Carolinas/Fla/ala/GA. etc.
Republic sanctuary==Central plains states. Neb/Ka/Ok/
Texas Republic ==Texas/LA/Miss.
Nuevo Tijuana==Southwestern states.~Cal/Az/NM/.
Mountain redoubt==Northern rockies. CO/WY/MONT/ID/UTAH.
Berkely redux==Northwest. OR/WA
June 11th, 2008 at 7:50 pm.
So, what is Rush et al saying about this? I don’t have time to listen to them much except reruns of Laura Ingram at night. I’ve heard nothing from her yet.
June 12th, 2008 at 12:50 amHey, let me know when the revolution will start, I’m 65 years old but I will gladly join and I know other people that are getting sick of this governments liberal crap.
Sliver
June 13th, 2008 at 1:38 pm