Comments on: The worst idea I’ve heard this week: forcing Internet sites to balance their commentary http://www.wikinomics.com/blog/index.php/2008/08/15/the-worst-idea-ive-heard-this-week-forcing-internet-sites-to-balance-their-commentary/ Exploring How Mass Collaboration Changes Everything Sun, 28 Aug 2011 14:21:24 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 By: Dwayne Phillips http://www.wikinomics.com/blog/index.php/2008/08/15/the-worst-idea-ive-heard-this-week-forcing-internet-sites-to-balance-their-commentary/comment-page-1/#comment-164958 Dwayne Phillips Sun, 17 Aug 2008 11:26:35 +0000 http://www.wikinomics.com/blog/?p=1866#comment-164958 This is all about the "fairness doctrine" for radio. Meaning this is all about getting Rush Limbaugh off talk radio. If it passes, a radio station would have to carry a three-hour liberal talk show to balance carrying Limbaugh's show. Since liberal talk shows fail to garner advertising dollars, no radio station would carry them. Hence they would be prohibited from carrying Limbaugh or any one of half a dozen other conservative talk shows. The second problem with this it that it is a telephone poll. Some people - like me - never do telephone polls. They are grossly inaccurate. Oh yes, if the fairness doctrine ever becomes law, it will eventually extend to blogs. This is all about the “fairness doctrine” for radio. Meaning this is all about getting Rush Limbaugh off talk radio. If it passes, a radio station would have to carry a three-hour liberal talk show to balance carrying Limbaugh’s show. Since liberal talk shows fail to garner advertising dollars, no radio station would carry them. Hence they would be prohibited from carrying Limbaugh or any one of half a dozen other conservative talk shows.

The second problem with this it that it is a telephone poll. Some people – like me – never do telephone polls. They are grossly inaccurate.

Oh yes, if the fairness doctrine ever becomes law, it will eventually extend to blogs.

]]> By: Shaun http://www.wikinomics.com/blog/index.php/2008/08/15/the-worst-idea-ive-heard-this-week-forcing-internet-sites-to-balance-their-commentary/comment-page-1/#comment-164052 Shaun Fri, 15 Aug 2008 15:30:46 +0000 http://www.wikinomics.com/blog/?p=1866#comment-164052 I am continually amazed by the number of people that approve of government regulation on information and opinion. People that believe information distributed via radio and television should be regulated, but the same should not apply to the Internet, never cease to amaze me. Is it simply disdain for the companies that run these networks? The Fairness Doctrine is nothing short of censorship and an attack on the free market. If the views presented by a radio or television program are not popular, the trusted metrics for those mediums will indicate it. It's not the government's place, whether it's television, terrestrial radio, satellite, internet radio or blogs. I am continually amazed by the number of people that approve of government regulation on information and opinion. People that believe information distributed via radio and television should be regulated, but the same should not apply to the Internet, never cease to amaze me. Is it simply disdain for the companies that run these networks?
The Fairness Doctrine is nothing short of censorship and an attack on the free market. If the views presented by a radio or television program are not popular, the trusted metrics for those mediums will indicate it. It’s not the government’s place, whether it’s television, terrestrial radio, satellite, internet radio or blogs.

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