Re: [IRCA] Talk Radio at Work
I agree with Larry that local programming is what is really missing from radio. But strongly disagree that the government has no role in insuring that citizens are well informed, and exposed to both sides of any issue. The Fairness Doctrine provided at least a measure of that to the airwaves, and some civility to our political discussions. Broadcasters use a publicly owned resource (RF spectrum) and are granted a license to use it for commerce. Part of that agreement is that it should be used in the public good--- and they have a responsibility to do so. While the majority of listeners might prefer to hear the views of the Right, that doesn't mean that broadcasters don't have a responsibility to present opposing ideas. Or at least they did under the Fairness Doctrine. Now it's just more mindless "group-think" where no one is ever exposed to other ideas, viewpoints, or belief systems. History shows that isn't healthy for a Democracy. The viewpoint that commercial success alone should determine broadcast content is highly flawed. It's like people who think that the Constitution is there to protect the rights of the majority. Nonsense. The Constitution was written to protect the rights of the /minority. /The majority rarely needs their rights protected. The Fairness Doctrine existed to prevent exactly the kind of extremism that we currently see in our news coverage. If you watch only Fox News, or listen to Rush, then you only get one side of any issue. Ditto if you tune in only to MSNBC. A far better approach, if you really care about Democracy is to expose the audience to both points of view. Ditto (irony intended) for deregulation of media ownership rules. Want and enjoy local programming--well, you can thank deregulation for the lack of it. In the Birmingham market, two companies own nearly all the radio stations in the market---and it's dominated by satellite based programming. During an emergency, such as our huge tornado outbreak in 2011, it was almost impossible to get any local news from radio. If media ownership rules had remained in place, and the Fairness Doctrine intact, you'd have a much different landscape to listen to now on the AM dial. The real power of radio is in local content---sadly, that's almost entirely lacking now. And gone with it, I fear the sense of being part of a small community. Instead, our Ipads and Twitter accounts allow us to be citizens of the global community---and I don't think that is an acceptable trade off. For those who supported the deregulation of radio, and the repeal of the Fairness Doctrine, I wonder if you envisioned this result back then? Many liberal thinkers of the time did. Maybe hearing some ideas from those darn lefties isn't such a bad thing after all. 73, Les N1LF On 3/6/2013 6:16 AM, Larry R Fravel wrote: Larry K8YYY ___ IRCA mailing list IRCA@hard-core-dx.com http://montreal.kotalampi.com/mailman/listinfo/irca Opinions expressed in messages on this mailing list are those of the original contributors and do not necessarily reflect the opinion of the IRCA, its editors, publishing staff, or officers For more information: http://www.ircaonline.org To Post a message: irca@hard-core-dx.com
Re: [IRCA] Talk Radio at Work
Well, stations have tried the other end of the political spectrum with networks like Air America and the went belly up because nobody listened to them. People listen to what works for them. All the "Fairness Doctrine" was a another try by the government to mandate things it should stay out of. Thankfully it failed. But then if it had worked, maybe TV networks like MSNBC, CNN, CBS, ABC, NBC,. and all the others with the exception of Fox would have have been made to present both sides of the "news". I listen to radio all the time, both AM, FM, and shortwave. I listen to local talk radio here in WV and the morning slot between 10 AM and noon is filled nicely with a very balanced approached to many topics. It also has a very large audience. I also listen to another station before that that carries a nationally syndicated show between 6 and 10 that is extremely entertaining - The Big Show with John Boy and Billy out of Charlotte. I also watch CBS affiliates for local and national news, mainly because CBS seems to less biased than either ABC or NBC and I enjoy CBS's programming schedule. It’s a matter of individual tastes as to what we listen to. I for one would rather see a lot more local programming rather than all the sports talk and other brokered stuff that clutters up the evening and late night broadcasts and would prefer we went back to the late 50's and early 60's when there really were clear and regional channels and people actually had to use real call letters and ID at least at the top and bottom of the hour. Larry K8YYY Shinnston, WV ___ IRCA mailing list IRCA@hard-core-dx.com http://montreal.kotalampi.com/mailman/listinfo/irca Opinions expressed in messages on this mailing list are those of the original contributors and do not necessarily reflect the opinion of the IRCA, its editors, publishing staff, or officers For more information: http://www.ircaonline.org To Post a message: irca@hard-core-dx.com
[IRCA] Talk Radio at Work
Really? If you can't tune out the pseudo-intellectual dribble that comes from Glen Beck, Rush, or others on talk radio and still manage to get your work done you should consider an appointment with a neurologist. Years from now, history will likely judge the rise of talk-radio and polarized TV news networks as the leading contributor to the death of the American political system. Let's face it, killing the fairness doctrine and allowing ownership of multiple stations in a single market have contributed nothing but profit and disinformation to the radio dial. The public owns the spectrum, and should demand meaningful regulation to insure that it's used for the public benefit, and not just to line corporate coffers. The nonsense of talk-radio is why you have no compromise in Washington now. Even the Senate is besieged by the dogma at both ends of the political spectrum. True believers "pick and chose" what news media they consume to insure that their beliefs are reinforced and never challenged by opposing ideas. Without the Fairness Doctrine, broadcasters assume no responsibility for their responsibility in our democracy--and we let it happen. Sad days indeed, both for local radio, and our country. 73, Les Rayburn, N1LF ___ IRCA mailing list IRCA@hard-core-dx.com http://montreal.kotalampi.com/mailman/listinfo/irca Opinions expressed in messages on this mailing list are those of the original contributors and do not necessarily reflect the opinion of the IRCA, its editors, publishing staff, or officers For more information: http://www.ircaonline.org To Post a message: irca@hard-core-dx.com
