No choice but right - by Marc Lamont Hill

[Xipe Totec]

According to the study, 91 percent of news/talk radio programming is comprised of conservatives. In response to this staggering imbalance, it has become necessary to revive the Fairness Doctrine, a federal policy established in 1940 to force broadcasters to allow equal broadcast time to opposing views.

The Fairness Doctrine intended to ensure that broadcast companies were adequately informing citizens of important news, but was vetoed by Ronald Reagan in 1987. Not coincidentally, Rush Limbaugh began to syndicate his show soon after, leading the charge toward a conservative media revolution that has reorganized American politics.

Of course, pundits on the Right insist that this spike is due to the demands of the so-called Free Market, arguing that conservative radio is ubiquitous simply because most people want to hear it.

Unfortunately, the numbers say otherwise: 56 percent of the American public and 53 percent of regular talk show listeners identify as liberal or moderate. Why would they not want radio options that reflect their views?

http://www.metro.us/us/article/2009/10/15/03/0855-82/index.xml


Just in case you're wondering why Rupert Murdoch fired this guy...

[Stuart G]

1. Sad and pathetic. we need return of fairness doctrine. nt

[FiveGoodMen]

2. Yes we do!