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| The Broadcaster Freedom Act |
What is "Fairness?
Commercial broadcasts pay for their airtime. Why should the government dictate to these businesses
what they should present?
This Bill will prevent the government from requiring that businesses provide equal time for opposing
points of view on opinion shows. It calls this fairness, but there is nothing fair about it.
If the government desires fairness, it should ensure that the news is reported in a proper manner, then
the fairness will follow. Instead, their "fairness" protects biased news coverage and will make demands
on the conservative opinion shows that own daytime radio.
Many people believe that this doctrine is near soviet in nature, and that it is not the role of
government; that by demanding a show give time to others is a form of censorship.
Of course, how will the Fairness Doctrine be enforced? How many lawyers will be involved?
Who will pay for it?
Commercial broadcasts pay for their airtime. Why should the government dictate to these businesses
what they should present?
This Bill will prevent the government from requiring that businesses provide equal time for opposing
points of view on opinion shows. It calls this fairness, but there is nothing fair about it.
If the government desires fairness, it should ensure that the news is reported in a proper manner, then
the fairness will follow. Instead, their "fairness" protects biased news coverage and will make demands
on the conservative opinion shows that own daytime radio.
Many people believe that this doctrine is near soviet in nature, and that it is not the role of
government; that by demanding a show give time to others is a form of censorship.
Of course, how will the Fairness Doctrine be enforced? How many lawyers will be involved?
Who will pay for it?
| HR 2905 IH 110th CONGRESS 1st Session H. R. 2905 To prevent the Federal Communications Commission from repromulgating the fairness doctrine. IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES June 28, 2007 Mr. PENCE (for himself, Mr. WALDEN of Oregon, Mr. BOEHNER, Mr. BLUNT, Mr. HASTERT, Mr. PUTNAM, Mr. CANTOR, Mr. HENSARLING, Mr. FLAKE, Mr. ADERHOLT, Mr. AKIN, Mrs. BACHMANN, Mr. BARRETT of South Carolina, Mr. BARTON of Texas, Mr. BILBRAY, Mr. BISHOP of Utah, Mrs. BLACKBURN, Mrs. BONO, Mr. BOOZMAN, Mr. BRADY of Texas, Mr. BROWN of South Carolina, Ms. GINNY BROWN-WAITE of Florida, Mr. BURGESS, Mr. BURTON of Indiana, Mr. BUYER, Mr. CALVERT, Mr. CAMP of Michigan, Mr. CAMPBELL of California, Mr. CANNON, Mr. CARTER, Mr. COLE of Oklahoma, Mr. CONAWAY, Mr. CRENSHAW, Mr. CULBERSON, Mr. DAVIS of Kentucky, Mr. DAVID DAVIS of Tennessee, Mr. TOM DAVIS of Virginia, Mr. DEAL of Georgia, Mr. MARIO DIAZ-BALART of Florida, Mr. DOOLITTLE, Mrs. DRAKE, Mr. DUNCAN, Mr. ENGLISH of Pennsylvania, Mr. EVERETT, Ms. FALLIN, Mr. FEENEY, Mr. FORTUN.AE6O, Ms. FOXX, Mr. FRANKS of Arizona, Mr. GARRETT of New Jersey, Mr. GINGREY, Mr. GOHMERT, Mr. GOODE, Mr. GOODLATTE, Mr. GRAVES, Mr. HASTINGS of Washington, Mr. HERGER, Mr. HOEKSTRA, Mr. HUNTER, Mr. ISSA, Mr. SAM JOHNSON of Texas, Mr. JORDAN of Ohio, Mr. KELLER of Florida, Mr. KING of Iowa, Mr. KINGSTON, Mr. KIRK, Mr. KLINE of Minnesota, Mr. KUHL of New York, Mr. LAMBORN, Mr. LATHAM, Mr. LUCAS, Mr. DANIEL E. LUNGREN of California, Mr. MACK, Mr. MARCHANT, Mr. MCCARTHY of California, Mr. MCCRERY, Mr. MCHENRY, Mr. MILLER of Florida, Mr. GARY G. MILLER of California, Mrs. MUSGRAVE, Mrs. MYRICK, Mr. NEUGEBAUER, Mr. PAUL, Mr. PEARCE, Mr. PITTS, Mr. POE, Mr. PRICE of Georgia, Mr. RADANOVICH, Mr. REYNOLDS, Mr. ROYCE, Mr. RYAN of Wisconsin, Mrs. SCHMIDT, Mr. SENSENBRENNER, Mr. SESSIONS, Mr. SHADEGG, Mr. SHUSTER, Mr. SIMPSON, Mr. SMITH of Nebraska, Mr. SMITH of Texas, Mr. SOUDER, Mr. STEARNS, Mr. TERRY, Mr. TIAHRT, Mr. WALBERG, Mr. WELDON of Florida, Mr. WESTMORELAND, Mr. WHITFIELD, Mr. WICKER, Mr. WILSON of South Carolina, Mr. WOLF, Mr. YOUNG of Alaska, and Mr. UPTON) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- A BILL To prevent the Federal Communications Commission from repromulgating the fairness doctrine. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. This Act may be cited as the `Broadcaster Freedom Act of 2007'. SEC. 2. FAIRNESS DOCTRINE PROHIBITED. Title III of the Communications Act of 1934 is amended by inserting after section 303 (47 U.S.C. 303) the following new section: `SEC. 303A. LIMITATION ON GENERAL POWERS: FAIRNESS DOCTRINE. `Notwithstanding section 303 or any other provision of this Act or any other Act authorizing the Commission to prescribe rules, regulations, policies, doctrines, standards, or other requirements, the Commission shall not have the authority to prescribe any rule, regulation, policy, doctrine, standard, or other requirement that has the purpose or effect of reinstating or repromulgating (in whole or in part) the requirement that broadcasters present opposing viewpoints on controversial issues of public importance, commonly referred to as the `Fairness Doctrine', as repealed in General Fairness Doctrine Obligations of Broadcast Licensees, 50 Fed. Reg. 35418 (1985).'. END |