Is FCC Chief Michael Copps Trying to Reinstate the Fairness Doctrine?
Is Federal Communications Commissioner Michael Copps trying to reinstate the Fairness Doctrine through what he calls a “public value test” for broadcasters? The short answer is no, and Copps is adamant about that point. He points out that while the Fairness Doctrine regulated political speech by mandating equal time for all views on a given topic, the “public value test” will only require that broadcasters serve the “public interest”, whatever that may be. Copps is correct in a narrow sense. The federal government will not be policing political opinions. It will simply be ensuring that content meets a standard for public value. What Copps fails to grasp is that “public value” is such a subjective term that it is almost unavoidable for political factors to play into a determination of whether or not certain content satisfies the definition. In other words, there is not official regulation of political speech, but such speech will almost surely be regulated indirectly. read more
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Is FCC Chief Michael Copps Trying to Reinstate the Fairness Doctrine?
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on December 16, 2010. Filed under