Hypocrite Stabenow Pushing Fairness Doctrine To Line Her Pockets.

Turns out Sen. Debbie Stabenow (D) Michigan push for hearings on “accountability” in radio (Fairness Doctrine) is more motivated by money than even her liberal ideology. She is married to a media executive with ties to left-wing radio.
During a recent interview with syndicated radio-host Bill Press, Stabenow said: “I think it’s absolutely time to pass a standard. Now, whether it’s called the ‘fairness standard,’ whether it’s called something else — I absolutely think it’s time to be bringing accountability to the airwaves.”
She didn’t mention that her husband Tom Athans is the co-founder and former CEO of Democracy Radio, which supported “progressive” talk radio, and was executive vice president for programming at left-wing Air America.
Columnist Camille Paglia said, “Stabenow’s outrageous conflict of interest has of course been largely ignored by the prestige press, which should have been demanding that she recuse herself from all political involvement with this issue.”
Originally instituted in 1949 by the FCC, the Fairness Doctrine required broadcasters using the public airwaves to give equal time to opposing political views. The FCC repealed the measure in 1987.
Since talk radio is overwhelmingly dominated by conservative hosts, and liberal talk radio draws few listeners, the “equal time” provision would likely force many radio stations to pull popular conservative hosts from the air rather than air low-rated liberal hosts.
“I remain incredulous that any Democrat who professes liberal values would give a moment’s thought to supporting a return of the Fairness Doctrine to muzzle conservative shows,” Paglia opined.
“Government surveillance of the ideological content of talk radio is a shocking first step toward totalitarianism.”
Perhaps the biggest hypocrisy – even excusing Stabernow’s greed — is the focus on radio while ignoring television and cable where the preponderance of programs is very leftist.
The Doctrine was scrapped in 1987 during the Reagan administration. Liberal Senator Dick Durbin (D) Illinois proposed reinstituting the doctrine in 2005 but he did not then have the votes in Congress. Such a proposal can be filibustered in the House where Republican’s can still talk it to death.