Home > News > God & Country > Why Christian Radio's Nervous Over Fairness Doctrine Despite Today's Senate Ban

Why Christian Radio's Nervous Over Fairness Doctrine Despite Today's Senate Ban

Reader Comments
Back to blog

If the fairness doctrine passes, does that mean
the liberal 'main stream media' will have to devote
equal space and equal time to conservative
editorials ???

Howard of CA 2:00PM June 25, 2010

It's amazing that Fundamentalist Christians who claim to support freedom of speech, see no problem with right-wing conservative radio holding 90% dominance over a public asset.
I'm a member of the public and I have many views that are left of center, but my views are not represented on talk radio today, so essentially I am being disenfranchised from a public asset that I should be able to enjoy.
The argument that the marketplace alone should decide who can utilize this public asset is unfair and unwise. The reinstatement of the fairness doctrine would allow all voices, left and right to be heard, and it worked just fine since it's inception in 1934.
This recent fear that the government would force Christian radio to carry competing 'world views' appears to have no precendent in the history of the fairness doctrine. However, if Christian broadcasters choose to depart from traditional church doctrine and inject worldly politics into their broadcasts they should expect to be called on it.

Paul of FL 3:04AM May 29, 2010

Also, thankyou forwhoever typed this repot it has helped me greatly for my debate.

alexis of KY 6:38AM November 30, 2009

I think it is crazy they are trying to put this fairness docrine in matter. I mean doesnt the freedom of speech and the freedom of the press mean anything to people arent radio and television press, too.

Alexis of KY 6:37AM November 30, 2009

Fairness has always been a subjective matter of 'perspective'. What may appear fair to you may seem unfair to me. Reintroducing the Fairness Doctrine won't happen as it is too politically charged and obviously unconstitutional. That would be government controlling free speech via the "front door". What I fear may happen, is that government will use the "back door" to attempt to limit free speach. Free speech via the broadcast airwaves will be inhibited and continually challenged through the introduction of "Community Advisory Boards" which are being proposed by the FCC (and will be populated with agenda-specific partisans) to serve as perpetual "complaint departments" and harass local broadcast licensees. In addition to that, the FCC is, I suspect, preparing to define "localism" narrowly and limit content of nationally syndicated programming. That will have a potentially devastating effect on small market broadcast outlets and serve nobody's interests when those stations have to cease business due to lack of audience and lack of advertiser support.

Kim Carlson of CO 12:08PM May 28, 2009

The "fairness doctrine" worked very well for those in the middle who relish learning and other viewpoints. It is about time that Americans again embrace fairness and eschew the hate filled radical rhetoric that our lesser educated and highly opinionated seem to love. What really strikes me is the UN-Christian tone and content. Why don't REAL Christians police "their people"? If they won't, the rest of us will. Bring BACK the Fairness Doctrine and send the self righteous cockroaches scurrying for their dark corners!

Bobby of TX 6:21PM May 07, 2009

I have learned over the years that when liberals don't get their way it comes back disguised as something else. Yes if it will stifle those they do not agree with, it will make it through. You say we worry, we should worry and always be on guard.
If we do not stay alert we will continue to lose our constitutional rights. Check the public schools, they don't even teach or have the kids read the most important document in this country, The Constitution.
When was the last time you read it. The nice thing about it is is not written in legaleeze.
Fairness Doctrine would not be fair, because fair would depend on which party was in office.

Les Ford of CA 4:52PM April 15, 2009

Asa Rush baby i grew up listening to this great man every day on the way home from school. As a 22 year old conservative Christian American attending a public university I am well aware as to the cynical and down right hostility in this country towards all things deemed Christian; it doesn't seem to matter to them that our belief is on faith and science cannot refute our beliefs, no matter how hard they try. We have the right to believe in an all powerful God that is not bound by the laws of science that he created, and we certainly are protected under the 1st amendment when we express our beliefs publicly on the airwaves; is it not this freedom of religion and speech that our country was founded on and the "free exercise thereof". yes i do believe I've read that phrase in a little document known as the UNITED STATES CONSTITUTION.
If congress can pass a law that so directly violates the 1ST AMMENDMENT than i am saying 'adios muchachos' to this country. Or maybe south carolina will seceed again, as radical as that sounds. I guarantee you our population will boom and businesses will flock to us.

Dan Christian of SC 12:44PM March 04, 2009

Wow. Well, I can't claim any Harvard degrees or superior knowledge of any kind, and I am not what one might call a "conservative christian", I think that this bill would be simply unconstitutional. It flies in the face of free speach. A tv or radio station, privately owned, has the right to put out there anything it wants to put out there. I don't think that any one specific group would suffer any more than another if this were to happen. We would all suffer. Even if this bill was targetted at the Christian groups, it could, in effect, be used in any way the government sees fit down the road. Does anyone really want the government to have the right to censor free speach? I don't agree with about 90% of what the so called "Christian" radio stations have to say, but I will fight to the death for their right to say it.

Ruth of MN 3:17PM March 03, 2009

This is all just so much sky-is-falling nonsense. They were worried about the FD and since they voted not to let it back they're worried that it will come back anyway and cause them incredible harm. It's not coming back and it wouldn't hurt them if it did. Some people just *need* to worry to feel as though they exist.

FarmerTom of IL 10:06AM March 03, 2009