BILL CLINTON - FAIRNESS DOCTRINE RETURNING?

FAIRNESS DOCTRINE RETURNING?

Responding to the overwhelming opposition by talk-radio hosts to President Obama's economic stimulus program, former President Bill Clinton said on Friday, "We either ought to have [the reimposition of] the Fairness Doctrine or more balance on the other side." Asked on Fox News Sunday whether President Obama supports the reinstatement of the Fairness Doctrine, White House senior advisor David Axelrod replied, "I'm going to leave that issue to Julius Genachowski, our new head of the FCC, and the president to discuss, so I don't have an answer for you now." Some analysts have observed that Genachowski is a former aide to Sen. Chuck Schumer, a strong backer of a new rule to reimpose the doctrine, which was scrapped by the FCC in 1987. The rule requires broadcasters to devote equal time to both sides of controversial political issues.

16/02/2009