Thread: Senate Liberals Launching War on Talk Radio Free

Senate Liberals Launching War on Talk Radio Free
Speech Rights, Says Accuracy in Media

By Brant McLaughlin

On Thursday, the non-profit citizens' media watchdog organization Accuracy in Media unleashed criticisms against the Senate Commerce Committee for today holding a hearing on "media diversity".

The "hearing" featured a prominent advocate of the federal Fairness Doctrine, which Aim denounces as a measure that Leftist liberals hope to use to silence conservative talk radio--thereby denying First Amendment Rights of free speech to any radio personality that has strong criticisms of Leftish liberal agendas or attitudes.

Alex Nogales of the liberal National Hispanic Media Coalition used his testimony to attack "hate speech on talk radio programs" and took the position that "more diversity of ownership" in the media would somehow help solve the alleged problem.

Nogales has been vociferous about wanting to call back the Fairness Doctrine in order counter conservative "hate speech" against "undocumented Latinos" and others. Broadcasting licenses, he says, should only be given to "responsible" parties who agree to show "varied points of view."

Nogales has espoused the belief that "hate speech" leads directly to "hate crimes". In his mind, television journalist Lou Dobbs of CNN is the "father of television hate speech" simply because he feels that the United States government should be stern with enforcing laws against illegal immigration.

AIM has called on the Senate Commerce Committee to protect broadcasters' First Amendment Rights by holding a hearing on and passing the Broadcaster Freedom Act.

Federal Communications Chairman Kevin Martin earlier this year stated that The FCC sees no reason whatsoever for reinstating the Fairness Doctrine and forcing a requirement of so-called "balanced coverage" of issues aired on the public airwaves, a Doctrine which was repealed in 1987 after the FCC testified before Congress that it was not in the best interests of society.

However, Democratic Senator Diane Feinstein also earlier this year stated that she and some fellow Democrats were considering re-instating the Doctrine because, according to her, conservative talk radio shows had presented only one-sided views of Congressional efforts to enact immigration reform.

Democratic Presidential hopeful Dennis Kucinich has previously intoned that the media have become the mere servants of narrow corporate interests and the Fairness Doctrine should be revisited as a possible means to thwart this conspiracy.

Critics of the Doctrine such as AIM maintain that the Fairness doctrine was anything but fair and gave power to the federal government to harass and threaten anyone who voiced any opinion or take that went against its wishes or stated intentions, in clear violation of the right of all Americans to vocally criticize anything the government does and the right of freedom of the press.

The Fairness Doctrine had been law for 20 years when AIM was formed in 1969.

"The war on conservative talk radio has begun," stated AIM editor Cliff Kincaid.
However, Democratic Senator Diane Feinstein also earlier this year stated that she and some fellow Democrats were considering re-instating the Doctrine because, according to her, conservative talk radio shows had presented only one-sided views of Congressional efforts to enact immigration reform.

Democratic Presidential hopeful Dennis Kucinich has previously intoned that the media have become the mere servants of narrow corporate interests and the Fairness Doctrine should be revisited as a possible means to thwart this conspiracy.

Critics of the Doctrine such as AIM maintain that the Fairness doctrine was anything but fair and gave power to the federal government to harass and threaten anyone who voiced any opinion or take that went against its wishes or stated intentions, in clear violation of the right of all Americans to vocally criticize anything the government does and the right of freedom of the press.

The Fairness Doctrine had been law for 20 years when AIM was formed in 1969.

"The war on conservative talk radio has begun," stated AIM editor Cliff Kincaid.

Original Newswire Source:
http://prnewswire.com/cgi-bin/stories.p ... 438&EDATE=

http://www.associatedcontent.com/articl ... _talk.html

They can squak all they want. This one will be very difficult to justify. Free speech is free speech is free speech. They'd have a better argument if they didn't bring protected free speech into it under the lable of "hate" speech.

So let them rant about "hate" speech, encourage their rants.

Once midamerica realizes that that "hate" speech is what most of them agree with, and that it is an attack on free speech, midamerica will turn further against them.

Witness the University of Delaware fiasco, a political agenda that went to far to stop "racism" or what they decided was racism, has now started criticism from moderates. I know it certainly caught my interest and I am looking forward to getting the DVD of Indoctrinate-U as soon as its out, so I can show others.

The Dems don't dare go after talk radio or they'll be in deep trouble 2008!

And they don't advocate 'hate talk.' Being frustrated over illegal immigration (to a point where in many cases illegals seem to have more rights than citizens) is not 'hate talk.' Spin, spin, spin, twist, twist, twist....

All it will do is speed up the Tea Party

Talk radio is not saying anything that the people are not already screaming about

The congress has already made itself irrellevent

Lets see what the goofy a_s Senate does