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| Another Attempt To Impose Broadcast Censorship |
| 2008-05-27 |
| An English-language advocate is encouraging citizens to sign a petition expressing opposition to proposed new regulations by the FCC that would amount to a backdoor Fairness Doctrine. In a 2007 report, an ultra-liberal think tank known as The Center for American Progress issued a report called "The Structural Imbalance of Political Talk Radio." Jim Boulet of English First says its agenda was to cleverly recast the so-called "Fairness Doctrine" by using the term "localism." "In 2007, they issued a report in which they bragged that if they could get more women and minorities to own stations, there'd be fewer stations carrying programs like Rush Limbaugh. What the regulations also do is we create a board of censors, really, who the radio station would have to meet with four times a year to listen to all their complaints -- and if they weren't satisfied, the radio station could lose its license," Boulet points out. Unfortunately, he says, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has bought into the agenda with its "Report on Broadcast Localism and Notice of Proposed Rulemaker." "Because the American people know how diabolical the Fairness Doctrine is, those who want to re-impose it on the airwaves and shut down programs have found a backdoor way to do it with the so-called 'localism' doctrine," Boulet contends. One of the proposed regulations would require racial and sexual quotas for station ownership, and another would require that all "licensees should convene and consult with permanent advisory boards." Boulet says he knows what that will mean. "These boards are going to be made up of people like the [Council on] American-Islamic Relations, The National Council of La Raza – all a bunch of professional grievance mongers who will never be satisfied until programs like Rush Limbaugh are no longer on the air," Boulet explains. According to Boulet, the review process is expected to end on June 11, at which time the FCC will decide what to do. Should the proposals go into effect, he says Congress would need to pass a Resolution of Disapproval in both the House and the Senate to void the regulations. The website keeprushontheair.com carries a petition allowing individuals to let the FCC and elected officials know of their opposition to the localism doctrine. |
| Posted by:Anonymoose |
| #1 Blow it out of your ear. |
| Posted by: newc 2008-05-27 16:50 |