[BC] Fairness doctrine by another name? Donna's humble request

[Ernie Belanger]

> This one is too funny.  
You see I lean neither LEFT or RIGHT. That good old New England 
Upbringing taught me to be an Independent. Or in the case on NY non 
affiliated.
On some issues I may be more conservative than some conservatives or 
other issues more liberal than some liberals.

On issues like the Fairness Doctrine I walk the middle ground, as I do 
in a lot of cases. But considering I have blood that runs back to the 
Mayflower and a signer of the Declaration of Independence back in the 
lineage I am a staunch defender of the Constitution. Oh, someone in the 
family tree also wrote a little book called "Common Sense" back in the day.

. When it comes to Radio.. I look not at what is good for owners or the 
NAB, but rather what I believe is good for Radio overall and it's listeners.

What I see a most harmful to Radio  is that forcing any unpopular 
programming to be aired will drive  listeners to other media.

Younger listeners, who now have what  we didn't have, "instant access" 
to digital media for their entertainment, are far less tolerant of what 
they don't want to hear and they jump ship to MP3 heaven . More forced 
unpopular programming will not only drive them further away but it  also 
has the greatest potential to drive away the more traditional radio 
listener.

Instinctively my gut tells me that this "balance" opinion position is so 
politically charged, that we're not talking opposing viewpoints at 5AM 
on Sunday morning. My guess is that the politicos are going to try to 
make the opposing viewpoint programming follow immediately. So now we 
will have programming decisions made via legislation and eventually via 
the courts. The two "most knowledgeable" radio programming groups known 
to man. (that's not left or right it's just pure bitting sarcasm)

My first Radio job was at 14 as a board operator and news stringer at an 
AM daytimer in Massachusetts.  There I learned quickly that the truth 
was what mattered. That truth is neither conservative nor liberal it is 
unto itself  "Truth".  "Just the facts mam" as Sgt. Friday would say.

So when I made the comment about not seeing all the comments in context 
I meant  just that.  Not a Left leaning comment at all.

Factually when a reporter, from whatever media, rips comments out of 
context they actually lessen their own integrity. They allow there fear 
to rule the way they write their story. Their fear causes them to bias a 
story to their way of thinking ,only because the fear is that a reader 
may not come to the same conclusion or position as the writer has adopted.

Somewhere in Journalism School they stopped teaching balanced reporting 
or stopped informing potential journalist that they weren't writing 
sales copy or a novel or an essay but rather they were writing news, 
pure and unbiased fact. But that as they say is a whole other story for 
a whole different thread.

Speaking of which I hope Barry lets the pass since it is in my defense 
and I'm not on AF.

Best to All
Ernie

>>> it was said--
>>>  OK, Ernie, your left leanings are showing here.
>>>  
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