Republicans Want Fairness Doctrine Off The Books

The leaders of the House Energy and Commerce Committee wrote to Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Chairman Julius Genachowski on Tuesday asking him to strike the Fairness Doctrine from the agency's rulebook, according to a story by Gautham Nagehs at thehill.com.

The controversial rule, introduced in 1949, required broadcasters to present controversial public issues in a manner deemed fair and balanced by the FCC. The commission concluded in 1987 that the Fairness Doctrine was unconstitutional and pledged to cease enforcing it.

Ten years later a D.C. Circuit Court case prompted the FCC to repeal its political-editorial and personal-attack rules because they interfere with the editorial judgment of journalists. However, both laws remain in the Code of Federal Regulations, according to Republican FCC Commissioner Robert McDowell.

"The media marketplace is more diverse and competitive today than it was 10 years ago when the D.C. Circuit Court struck down the commission's political-editorial and personal-attack rules," wrote Reps. Fred Upton (R-Mich.) and Greg Walden (R-Ore.).

"The difference is even more stark when compared to the market 20 years ago, when the commission concluded that the Fairness Doctrine was unconstitutional."

In recent years some Democrats have said they support reviving the policy in some form due to the increasingly confrontational and partisan nature of some radio and cable TV news programming, usually prompting a strong backlash from conservatives and civil libertarians.

Genachowski has said in the past that he does not support reinstating the Fairness Doctrine.

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