If you listen to “talk radio” there has been a lot of talk about the Fairness Doctrine. What exactly is it? According to the Federal Communications Commission it was a regulation that was written in 1949 which stated that “radio station licensees had an obligation to broadcast both points of a contrasting view on controversial issues of public importance”. In 1987, this was overturned by the FCC themselves because, according to them, it failed to encourage the discussion of more controversial issues. There were concerns that it violated the First Amendment free speech principles as well.

Fast forward to present day and we now have legislation before Congress that would reinstate this policy known as the Fairness Doctrine. It is now called the “Fairness in Broadcasting Act of 1993” and is sponsored by the Senate (S. 333) and the House (H.R. 1985).

This idea of regulating how much is broadcast from each side of a controversial issue is alarming. How can anyone, anywhere really keep track of what issues are being discussed and who has more points broadcasted than another. It is impossible to really know and would take way too much time to find out. Should the federal government be responsible to police the airwaves so everyone has an even amount of time for discussion? I say no. The more regulation in free speech the more our rights are being taken away.

In reality, it would be a threat to all talk radio stations from broadcasting their views because of what the FCC bureaucrat investigations would cause. This is one more regulation the federal government is trying to press upon us in the name of being “fair.” The real reason behind all of this pushing of regulation is that those of opposing views in radio want political discussions stopped. With the media giving us invalid and untrue information, many times talk radio is the only way I can get the true picture of what is really going on in our country. The FCC is not the one to determine whether one opinion being discussed has more air time than another. The American people can decide for themselves. If most of the listeners prefer one talk show host over another because of content, then so be it. That is the beauty of the American way and our freedom to speak our minds.

If this legislation is passed it will not be easier for us to access controversial views, it will be the censorship of opposing views from the federal government. There is such a wide diversity of views available today in an expanding broadcasting system, why should be regulate them? We shouldn’t. The Fairness Doctrine isn’t really fair then is it? It isn’t and we should broadcast our views in telling them so.

Loxley resident Valerie J. Steimle is the author of two books, “Home Is Where The Heart Is, A look at strengthening the American Family,” and her latest book, “Home Is Where The Learning Is” (www.amazon.com/gp/product/1403379637). Contact her at valeriesteimle@yahoo.com or visit her website at www.stengthenyourhome.com.