It's Happened Before

This isn't the first time a Democrat has been elected with expectations of reviving the “Fairness” Doctrine. For example, according to a Usenet post in 1993:

Clinton and the Democratic Party are close to utterly distroying the
freedom of speech that has made talk-radio a vital medium.

In August 1987, the Federal Communications Commission, (FCC), abolished
the so-called "Fairness Doctrine", a political tool much used to restrict
free speech of political enemies.  Not the Clintonians have slipped it
back as part of campaign-finance.  Now without much notice this provision
has passed the Senate and headed for the house.  Of course Clinton supports
it and is trying to get it through.  Time to get on the phones and call in
to your Represenative and tell them to vote no.

As Virginia I. Postrel reported in the LA Times column Column Right:

[ My comments are in brackets. ]
[She reports how the other Administrations used the so-called fairness doctrine
 to muzzle opposition view points and goes on. ]

"Clinton Administration officials aren't likely to be any more scrupulous
about protecting free speech and editorial independence.  Indeed, given the
Administrations troubles with talk-show listeners -- the outpourings against
Zoe Baird, gays in the military. --  it is hard to imagine that the Clintonians
wouldn't use the law to muzzle enemies." [ Not hard at all. ]

[ How Clinton Could Muzzle Talk Radio ]

"Some simple interpertations of "fairness" would do the trick.  The FCC could
require stations, as it has in the past, to balance the viewpoints on a issue
to issue basis; simply having both liberal and conservative hosts would not
suffice.  And it could require that stations balance audience size -- for
example, putting Rush Limbaugh on at 3am until his numbers dropped to a drivve
norm."

"The first option means airing lots of UNPAID responses.  The second means
cutting off popular but controversial hosts.  In both cases, regulators can
pick and choose where to attack, favoring their friends and punishing their
enemies.  And the can utterly the freedom of speech that has made talk-radio
such a vital medium."

It is not hard to see why some people think Clinton should be impeached.
Call your Represenative today and tell them to vote no.

Aaron J. Greenwood

We dodged that bullet.