Democratic Platform Urges Media Ownership Diversity
Democrats adopted a platform plank ordering clarity on broadcasters’ public interest obligations, and pledging policies to increase media ownership diversity, according to the final document. Under the heading “A Connected America,” the document said a Democratic administration will promote new media outlets for expressing diverse viewpoints and defining broadcasters’ public interest obligations.
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The language suggests the Democrats might try to revive the Fairness Doctrine, a former FCC regulation under which broadcasters had to present both sides of policy debates. Worried Republicans have pushed legislation this Congress to stave off the effort. House Minority Leader John Boehner, R- Ohio, told FCC Chairman Kevin Martin in a letter that the agency’s proposed localism rules amount to “stealth enactment of the doctrine,” abandoned by the FCC in 1987 even as Congress voted for a fairness doctrine law that President Reagan vetoed.
“The public should know that Democratic control of the White House would result in a 3-2 liberal majority in the FCC and the possible return of the Fairness Doctrine through administrative and executive action without any congressional approval required,” said Cliff Kincaid, editor of Accuracy in Media. “Stay tuned for 2009 and 2010,” FCC Commissioner Robert McDowell said in Aug. 12 remarks to the Media Research Center. This election, “if it goes one way, could lead to the reimposition of the doctrine,” McDowell said. “I think it won’t be called the ‘fairness doctrine’ by folks who are promoting it, I think it will be called something else,” he said. The effort likely could be intertwined with the net neutrality debate, he added.
“The bigger concern is that if you have government dictating content policy, then whoever is in charge of government is going to determine what is fair under a so- called ‘fairness doctrine,'” McDowell said. The debate raises the question of whether bloggers and Web sites would have to give equal time or equal space to opposing views, rather than letting the marketplace of ideas determine what is included, he said. So far, the doctrine has not been raised at the FCC, McDowell said.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., has made it clear she wants the policy reinstated. Anti-doctrine sentiment this Congress has been strong among many Republicans fearful that Democrats are trying to quash talk radio by reviving the policy. Three bills (S-1742, S-1748, HR-2905) propose to bar the FCC from reviving the policy. Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., co-sponsored S-1742. HR-2905 has 208 co-sponsors, but the bill is stalled.
Democrats are less likely to press for change on media ownership rules next Congress, despite activist leadership by Sen. Byron Dorgan, D-N.D., on a resolution of disapproval that passed the Senate, Hill sources said. Pelosi is not likely to bring up the resolution in the House this Congress, House aides have said. By the time the 111th Congress convenes, a new communications agenda will be focusing on other issues.