The American people love a fair fight, especially when it comes to politics and the debates going on in Washington that affect them at home. Everyday thousands of Oklahomans turn on their radios and tune in to talk shows to listen to debates and discussions on different topics. The freedom of the airwaves has fostered vigorous discussion of controversial issues amongst all political parties, but before 1985 this freedom was absent from talk radio. Now, Washington liberals want to go back to the days of government controlled airwaves by reinstating the Fairness Doctrine which strips radio outlets of the very rights guaranteed to them in the Constitution.

Beginning in 1949, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) and its precursor developed and enforced the so-called Fairness Doctrine.  The Fairness Doctrine required broadcasters to present controversial issues in a fair and balanced manner.  However, because of the lack of clarity in the Commission's ruling, broadcasters opted to offer non-controversial programming in lieu of hours of paperwork or countless legal fees.

Thankfully, the FCC began to overturn its own ruling on the Fairness Doctrine in 1985.  Following that change in policy and President Reagan's veto of attempts to reinstate it, the results have been dramatic.  Since the demise of the doctrine, talk radio has been an outlet for debates and discussion and has proved to be a vital asset for America.

However, the Majority in Congress thinks otherwise.  They believe that the government, not you or the free market, should dictate the content of American radio.  To prevent this from happening my colleagues and I voted in favor of the Broadcaster Freedom Act, which passed the House.  This act prohibits the FCC from prescribing rules, regulations or policies that would force broadcasters to present content that the market has demonstrated to have little or no audience.  The Broadcaster Freedom Act prevents the FCC or any future President from reinstating the doctrine.  The legislation ensures true freedom and fairness for our radio waves.

C. Wright Mills once said, "Freedom is not merely the opportunity to do as one pleases; neither is it merely the opportunity to choose between set alternatives.  Freedom is, first of all, the chance to formulate the available choices, to argue over them-and then, the opportunity to choose."  As your representative, I will continue to fight against bad policy that ultimately makes the government bigger and strips Americans of their right to choose what they listen to on the radio.

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