On February 5, 2009,
Politico had an article about Debbie Stabenow, a United States Senator from Michigan, who wanted to bring back the Fairness Doctrine and it was discussed on a
message board:
This morning, radio host Bill Press brought up the recent closing of liberal station Obama 1260 when speaking with Michigan Sen. Debbie Stabenow, and talked about whether there needs to be a balance to right-wing talk on the radio dial.
BILL PRESS: Yeah, I mean, look: They have a right to say that. They’ve got a right to express that. But, they should not be the only voices heard. So, is it time to bring back the Fairness Doctrine?
SENATOR DEBBIE STABENOW (D-MI): I think it’s absolutely time to pass a standard. Now, whether it’s called the Fairness Standard, whether it’s called something else — I absolutely think it’s time to be bringing accountability to the airwaves. I mean, our new president has talked rightly about accountability and transparency. You know, that we all have to step up and be responsible. And, I think in this case, there needs to be some accountability and standards put in place.
BILL PRESS: Can we count on you to push for some hearings in the United States Senate this year, to bring these owners in and hold them accountable?
SENATOR DEBBIE STABENOW (D-MI): I have already had some discussions with colleagues and, you know, I feel like that’s gonna happen. Yep.
Although Obama has been publicly opposed to reinstating the fairness doctrine, conservative radio has talked nonstop about the fear of it returning (or perhaps something like it with another name) while there's a Democrat in the White House and a Democratic majority in Congress.
UPDATE: A commenter points out that Stabenow is married to Tom Athans, a liberal talk radio executive.
I responded with:
Calling it something else does not make it legal.
Washington Post has an article written by Howard Kurtz about this, scroll down to "Liberal Flameout" and it says that the ratings of 1260 Obama have dropped and the conservative station has double in ratings.
I called Sen. Stabenow (202-224-4822) and left this message:
Hello Senator Stabenow, my name is Cory Hamblin and I am a resident of Utah. Please do not support a law that would dictate which radio shows are allowed. This would be bad for democracy and there is an obvious conflict of interest with your husband. WWRC ratings dropped significantly after the election and it is no longer profitable.
I have no idea why liberal radio shows perform poorly, but they are not profitable and it would cost many jobs if a company was forced to broadcast them at a loss.
Thank You. Good-bye.
Debbie Stabenow was elected in 2000 and during the 2018 election she will be facing John James.
Here is some information from
Wikipedia on the fairness doctrine:
The fairness doctrine of the United States Federal Communications Commission (FCC), introduced in 1949, was a policy that required the holders of broadcast licenses both to present controversial issues of public importance and to do so in a manner that was—in the FCC's view—honest, equitable, and balanced. The FCC eliminated the policy in 1987 and removed the rule that implemented the policy from the Federal Register in August 2011.
The fairness doctrine had two basic elements: It required broadcasters to devote some of their airtime to discussing controversial matters of public interest, and to air contrasting views regarding those matters. Stations were given wide latitude as to how to provide contrasting views: It could be done through news segments, public affairs shows, or editorials. The doctrine did not require equal time for opposing views but required that contrasting viewpoints be presented. The demise of this FCC rule has been considered by some to be a contributing factor for the rising level of party polarization in the United States.
The main agenda for the doctrine was to ensure that viewers were exposed to a diversity of viewpoints. In 1969 the United States Supreme Court upheld the FCC's general right to enforce the fairness doctrine where channels were limited. But the courts did not rule that the FCC was obliged to do so. The courts reasoned that the scarcity of the broadcast spectrum, which limited the opportunity for access to the airwaves, created a need for the doctrine.
The fairness doctrine is not the same as the equal-time rule. The fairness doctrine deals with discussion of controversial issues, while the equal-time rule deals only with political candidates.
WSPZ is a radio station in Washington D.C. that was temporarily renamed to Obama 1260:
On September 15, 2008, WWRC was branded as "Obama 1260" while maintaining its progressive talk format, plus news coverage from CNN and CNBC. The temporary branding was a stunt coinciding with conservative-oriented sister station WTNT (branded "McCain 570"), and was expected to last throughout the 2008 Presidential Election. While WTNT was re-branded "Freedom 570" right after the election, WWRC retained its Obama 1260 branding beyond Illinois senator Barack Obama's Presidential inauguration on January 20, 2009.
In January 2009, WWRC launched its new website http://www.obama1260.com/ (the domain expired September 11, 2009). However, The Washington Post reported on February 2, 2009, that the station would be changing to a business talk format the following week (although the Ed Schultz Show was moved to sister station WTNT, he would eventually be dropped from that station's lineup). Starting on February 9, 2009, WWRC broadcast a syndicated business talk format under the brand, "Money 1260." Chiefly an outlet for the Business Talk Radio Network, the station also carried Ray Lucia and Clark Howard.
WWRC was sold to Salem Communications in April 2010. Upon taking control on May 15 (initially via a local marketing agreement before completing its purchase on August 3), Salem relaunched the station with its conservative talk format, again reviving the "WRC" branding as "1260 WRC."
In Utah, 570 is known as KNRS and there isn't a 1260.
