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From: orb@whuts.UUCP (SEVENER)
Newsgroups: net.politics
Subject: Re: McIntyre and the Fairness Doctrine
Message-ID: <462@whuts.UUCP>
Date: Sat, 4-Jan-86 19:55:31 EST
Article-I.D.: whuts.462
Posted: Sat Jan  4 19:55:31 1986
Date-Received: Sun, 5-Jan-86 05:56:02 EST
References: <510@enmasse.UUCP> <2002@akgua.UUCP> <1073@brl-tgr.ARPA>
Organization: AT&T Bell Laboratories
Lines: 49

> 
> The Philadelphia Council of Churches got after, not Mr. Cotten (who
> operated out of California), but Rev. McIntyre.  After several years
> of protracted proceedings (which were documented at the time in
> BROADCASTING Magazine), Rev. McIntyre's "Leadership Radio for the
> Delaware Valley" LOST ITS BROADCAST LICENSE.  Is this right?  Doesn't
> the First Amendment to the Constitution guarantee free speech, even
> for unpopular causes?  And isn't the Constitution the "Supreme Law of
> the Land"?
> 
>                                                 -- Matt Rosenblatt

Reverend McIntire's broadcast of anti-Semitic lies was merely the
capstone of his whole "Kill a Commie for Christ" philosophy.
The FCC revoked his broadcast license because of gross and repeated
violations of the Fairness Doctrine.  The Fairness Doctrine requires
radio and TV stations to provide access to different viewpoints.
It also requires a certain amount of community service broadcasting.
Despite many cases of bias and refusal to allow alternative viewpoints
on the air, radio and TV stations are practically never prosecuted
on the basis of the Fairness Doctrine.  For example the refusal of
CBS to carry an ad by the American College of Obstetricians and 
Gynecologists on birth control is considered perfectly acceptable
under the Fairness Doctrine.  Therefore it takes extreme bias
to lose a broadcast license.  I remember reading about McIntyre's
case in the Progressive and I believe that his station refused
time to respond to editorials and outright lies carried on the
station.
 
I think that the Fairness Doctrine is a good idea since it is
the only check we have on the broadcast media.  TV and radio stations
have still repeatedly refused to carry even paid political ads they
disliked but the Fairness Doctrine requires stations to give some
consideration to other viewpoints and balance.  Given the power
of the broadcast media it would be horrible if one could not
have the opportunity to respond to editorials or news stories.
 
Needless to say Reagan's administration has proposed eliminating
the Fairness Doctrine.  The Reagan appointees to the FCC also
expanded the number of radio and TV stations in conjunction with
print media which can be owned by the same corporation.  The
Reagan appointees to the FCC have talked about eliminating limits
on monopolies of broadcast media altogether.
 
Yet another way in which Reagan is doing his best to bring
the "1984" "freedom" of "slavery" to Amerika!
 
    "1984: More than a dream. Brought to you by the Reagan Team"
             tim sevener   whuxn!orb