Talk Radio About to be Neutered

In the distance, one can hear the faint drumbeat of the upcoming revival of the "Fairness Doctrine". It will be hailed by First Amendment haters as "leveling the playing field" and "reviving the hate filled airwaves", but it is quite more dystopian and utopian.

Talk radio has in the past couple of years grown exponentially. For a while, there was even a progressive station, Air America, and throughout that time, no one mentioned equal time amendments. It's failure was brought on for reasons which in hindsight appears obvious. People just don't want to listen to Bush hate and progressive falsehoods on their way to work.

Well, as the old saying doesn't go, "If you can't beat 'em, socialize them."

In what way is allowing the market to function properly unfair? The same way it's unfair that the length of innings in baseball is based on performance, not time. In what way is free speech aided by government intrusion? How can alternate views be forced onto private broadcasts and call it fair? Those pushing for the change, progressives, attempt to evade media constantly, as evidenced by the Democratic Parties refusal to participate in a debate on Fox News and their persistent refusal to be seen and heard on any media that takes calls.

I'm sure Rush Limbaugh, Sean Hannity, Bill O'Reilly, and Michael Savage would love to bring on as many Democratic senators as would join them. That won't happen. Even though it would be a perfect chance to spout Democratic views, they know their arguments can't stand up to even the slightest scrutiny. Instead, they will just make the medium unmarketable using their unmarketable progressive broadcasters.

My argument on this hinges on the fact that, unlike the ignorant masses, I realize that there are more than two sides to every issue. Who will be the arbiter of all views? Which expert will decide if something is on the left or the right? Does business news count as political speech, and if so, will there be a communist to chime in from time to time? Will there be Muslim prayer brakes five times a day during the sermons on Sunday?

I can see it now, Howard and Oprah in the Morning; or perhaps the The Falwell-Khomeini Drive Time Happy Hour. Should be interesting.

Live Free or Die,

Marc