1. FCC Transition Head May Be 'Fairness Doctrine' Fan
Barack Obama's purported pick to guide the transition of the Federal Communication Commission (FCC) may not bode well for free expression in the land of liberty.
The president-elect is expected to appoint D.C. lawyer Henry Rivera as transition leader for the FCC, according to Multichannel News.
Rivera is a Democratic former commissioner who served on the FCC panel from 1981 to 1985.
Following Rivera's resignation in 1985, President Ronald Reagan appointed Patricia Diaz Dennis, who opposed the Fairness Doctrine. The law was subsequently repealed in 1987.
The law mandates that equal time be given on broadcast airwaves to opposing political viewpoints.
As the FCC in the past was forced to admit, the Orwellian Fairness Doctrine "had the net effect of reducing rather than enhancing the discussion of controversial issues of public importance."
After the law was repealed, talk radio became a bona fide industry.
Obama's reported choice is no "reach across the aisle" pick. Rivera has been heralded for linking civil rights interests to communications policies.
According to the Web site of the Minority Media and Telecommunications Council, Rivera is chairman of the board. The group is "committed to promoting and preserving equal opportunity and civil rights in the mass media and telecommunications industries."
He's also a board member and general counsel for the Benton Foundation, an organization that "works to ensure that media and telecommunications serve the public interest and enhance our democracy. We pursue this mission by seeking policy solutions that support the values of access, diversity, and equity," according to its Web site.
It all sounds an awful lot like the language used by Democrats to justify the rebirth of the Fairness Doctrine, including Democrats Nancy Pelosi, Hillary Clinton, Barbara Boxer, Dianne Feinstein, Chuck Schumer, Dennis Kucinich, Jeff Bingham and Louise Slaughter — all of whom are on record as being in support of the lopsided law. Slaughter actually already tried to bring it back.
As Feinstein complained to Fox News' Chris Wallace, "In my view, talk radio tends to be one-sided. It also tends to be dwelling in hyperbole. It's explosive. It pushes people to, I think, extreme views without a lot of information."
Editor's Note:
2. Carrie Underwood Down on Celebrity Politicking
Like the rest of us, Carrie Underwood watched as Oprah Winfrey, Leonardo DiCaprio, Lindsay Lohan, Matt Damon, Bruce Springsteen and Sean Combs publicly campaigned for our new president-elect, Barack Obama.
The country star didn't much like what she saw and has voiced her opinion about fellow celebrities who use their fame to bring attention to political candidates.
"There is someone I do support, but I don't support publicly. I lose all respect for celebrities when they back a candidate," she told TV Guide.
According to Underwood, voters ought to make up their own minds rather than listen to the recommendations of the famous.
When celebrity endorsements are taken too seriously, Underwood suggested that "it's saying that the American public isn't smart enough to make their own decisions."
She then noted, "Music is where you go to get away from all the BS."
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