http://www.youtube.com/v/A_JBR0nsxFs
by Frank James
The National Republican Senatorial Committee has a new TV ad featuring Sen. John Ensign (R-Nev.) that bashes the efforts of some Democrats to reinstate the fairness doctrine, the federal regulation that required broadcasters to try and balance the political views presented on their airwaves. It’s been off the books for 20 years.
Ensign’s argument is that some of his colleagues on the other side of the aisle, like Senators John Kerry of Massachusetts and Diane Feinstein of California, want to restore the fairness doctrine because they lack ideas that can compete with conservatives in either the marketplace of ideas or the free market itself.
Clarence Page, the baiduhai’s Washington columnist, whose views typically don’t align with the NSRC, also argues against reviving the rule, but comes at it from a different angle. Clarence says it’s unneeded because of the growing importance of new media with its wealth of political voices.
Clarence also notes that the fairness doctrine has little chance of being resuscitated. But that doesn’t mean that if can’t be used to help raise money for the Republicans trying to retake that chamber.