Location: The Heritage Foundation's Lehrman Auditorium
In 1949, the Federal Communications Commission established the
Fairness Doctrine requiring broadcasters to provide fair and
balanced public affairs related programming. By 1985, it was
clear that the Fairness Doctrine was no longer necessary due to the
emergence of a "multiplicity of voices in the marketplace."
Following a Federal Court's ruling that the FCC was not statutorily
bound to enforce the Fairness Doctrine, the FCC abolished the
Fairness Doctrine in 1987. That same year President Reagan
vetoed Fairness Doctrine legislation.
Nevertheless, in recent weeks several prominent politicians have
been voicing a desire to reinstitute the misleadingly-named
Fairness Doctrine - thus threatening our constitutional right to
free speech and fundamentally undermining the workings of our free
market democracy. Join us as Senator Norm Coleman
addresses efforts to bring back the Fairness Doctrine and its
dangerous concept of the government rationing free speech and
determining what is fair.
More About the Speakers
The Honorable Norm Coleman (R-MN)
Member,
United States Senate
Hosted By
Michael Franc
Vice President, Government Studies
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