Everything we do affects us all

January 26, 2016

WE NEED THE FAIRNESS DOCTRINE

Because Rush Limbaugh is so self confident and is on the national airwaves 15 hours a week for twenty or so years, sometimes he resorts to being frank and truthful to fill the time. For example, I've heard him address the Fairness Doctrine (which was an FCC law that was done away with in the Reagan administration). He clearly fears nothing more than such a rule being recreated. As 'Rush' has said many times, 'If we still had the Fairness Doctrine this show would not exist.' He goes on to explain that if his audience were presented with countering views (the heart of the FD) he could never have created the single-minded 'club' of like-thinking people that he (and other hosts like Sean Hannity) have.
Limbaugh and his fans think this is a very logical situation and that if 'Liberal' views and show hosts were of any interest to many people then they too would have highly rated shows. This thinking is based on the idea that unfettered free market capitalism inevitably leads to good and fair social outcomes. But I personally have experienced the flaw in this logic. I have contacted local several Fox radio affiliates and asked what level of sponsorship I would need to garner to earn a spot on their airwaves so as to air a Liberal-perspective radio show and their answer was 'We don't want that type of programming at any price.'
The fact is, that even if you offer corporate owners of Conservative broadcast networks Liberal programming ideas which indeed will earn them higher profits they will turn down that opportunity based on the idea that the Liberal programming will try to influence the listening audience to vote to RAISE THEIR TAXES.

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