Word: fcc
(lookup in dictionary)
(lookup stats)
Dates: during 2000-2009
Sort By: most recent first
(reverse)
...Washington Don't F ___ With the FCC In a setback for potty-mouthed celebs, the Supreme Court ruled on April 28 that the Federal Communication Commission (FCC) can fine networks for "fleeting expletives" that appear during live broadcasts. The case, FCC v. Fox Television Stations, arose from awards shows in which Bono, Cher and Nicole Richie uttered passing profanities. The question of whether such fines violate First Amendment rights, however, was left to a lower circuit court...
...even if one were to take Doctrinaires at their word and assume that they solely desire the elevation of public discourse, and even if one were to ignore the unconstitutionality of the means to this end, a critical flaw still lingers. If the FCC is given the authority to dictate what constitutes “balanced” coverage of the issues, then the FCC is given dominion over the definition of “balanced.” There are far more than only two sides to every debate, and yet the assumption goes that the FCC would only...
...doctrine’s opacity grants the FCC enormous powers, as it will be able to dictate which viewpoints are legitimate enough for coverage, which would lead to one of two outcomes. Either the FCC would grant every viewpoint equal time, which clearly defies practicality, or it would grant only a handful of viewpoints equal time, which clearly defies “fairness...
...doctrine stayed in effect, and was enforced until FCC chairman Mark Fowler began rolling it back during Reagan's second term - despite complaints from some in the Administration that it was all that kept broadcast journalists from thoroughly lambasting Reagan's policies on air. In 1987, the FCC panel repealed the Fairness Doctrine altogether with a 4-0 vote...
...Both sides are likely overstating the doctrine's import. Even if it were to return, liberals would have a hard time co-opting the Fairness Doctrine to limit conservative talk radio to the degree they might like. The FCC has never applied the Fairness Doctrine to a talk radio host, nor does the regulation force stations to give equal time for every perspective. Further, the point might be moot without support from the Oval Office - which the doctrine does not currently enjoy. "As the President stated during the campaign, he does not believe the Fairness Doctrine should be reinstated...