The FCC is investigating whether The View violated the equal time doctrine with a segment featuring JamesTalarico, an anti-administration senate candidate from Texas. Their premise is that liberal politicians and liberal media are using entertainment shows to bypass long established equal time rules by conventional news sources. The Talarico controversy also recently surfaced on the Stephen Colbert show.
I question whether conventional news sources still exist. All the stations now-a-days seem to have a slant, one way or another. What is new is weaponizing these agencies, such as the FCC.
Not to reveal my sexism, but isn't there an old expression about a woman's scorn? Attacking The View before the midterms must have James Carville snickering. Talk about snickering, The Morning Call just gave Ryan Mackenzie promotion to announce that he doesn't know about any ICE detention centers planned for Lehigh Valley. Considering they're planning one next door in Berks County, why would they build one here? They're not McDonalds, not yet anyway.
I have it from an excellent source that Bad Bunny will be booked at the coming Music Fest.
ReplyDeleteNobody is weaponizing the FCC.
ReplyDeleteBroadcast TV shows (think the channels 2-13 on the old TV’s with dials) have licenses and are subject to the broadcast TV laws and regulations that have been in place for decades.
If politicians like Talarico want free advertising without the same opportunity going to their opponents, they can certainly go on cable shows, podcasts, or social media
If you’re trying to argue that The View is exempt from the broadcast rules because it’s a news show, you’ve truly lost your marbles.
anon@7:13: The View and Stephen Colbert are NOT news shows, but defined entertainment. Imposing "equal time" rules on them is weaponizing the FCC. Likewise, 60 Minutes was intimidated recently to delay a broadcast. If the guest was a conservative candidate, I doubt that the FCC would have interceded. Trump has done more than weaponize these agencies, he has corrupted them.
ReplyDeleteYou are correct about the View and Colbert being entertainment, and both are aired on “broadcast” stations. As such, they are subject to the rules and laws covering broadcast LICENSEES that have been in place for decades.
DeleteThat is not weaponizing ANYTHING.
I would imagine that if a conservative candidate would have appeared on one of those shows for a softball interview, He’ll would have first frozen over. Then the liberal audience to which those shows pander would have made sure that their candidate had equal time. The equal time law is in effect to make sure one side doesn’t have an advantage.
As to 60 Minutes, it’s important to remember that the show has a history of bias and had recently been sued for an attempt at gaming the political system. CBS (on which 60 Minutes airs) settled that lawsuit for $16 million. CBS didn’t kill the story you refer to but held the it back for 60 Minutes to check their sources. Imagine that!
I’m sorry if that delayed another hit piece on Trump, but you would think that something that masquerades as a news show would already be doing that.
Weaponizing government? Geez, where would the republican administration get that idea from? Anybody got a guess?
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