 Sen. Debbie Stabenow and husband, Tom Athans |
Bloggers and commenters on Internet forum pages today erupted over a forecast by Sen. Debbie Stabenow, D-Mich., that the so-called “Fairness Doctrine” is coming, citing her husband’s financial involvement in the “progressive” talk efforts of at least three companies that could benefited from the policy.
“Stabenow should disclose her clear conflict of interest here,” wrote a participant in the forums page for Michael Calderone at Politico.com. “Her husband has been an executive with three failed liberal talk networks.”
WND reported Stabenow’s comments to host and WND columnist Bill Press that the “Fairness Doctrine,” a 1960s and 70s concept to require “balance” on radio airwaves, is “gonna happen.”
“I think it’s absolutely time to pass a standard. Now, whether it’s called the Fairness Standard, whether it’s called something else – I absolutely think it’s time to be bringing accountability to the airwaves,” she said.
“I mean, our new president has talked rightly about accountability and transparency. You know, that we all have to step up and be responsible. And, I think in this case, there needs to be some accountability and standards put in place.”
But Stabenow didn’t mention that her husband, Tom Athans, was executive vice president of the left-leaning talk radio network Air America. He left the network in 2006 when it filed for bankruptcy to join TalkUSA Radio Network. And he previously served as co-founder of Democracy Radio.
The RadioEqualizer blog reported Athans has long been in the “libtalk” business and at one point he was paid $165,000 for less than a year’s work.
Athans was the cofounder with Paul Fiddick in 2002 of Democracy Radio, which was to “nurture” programming for “left-leaning” radio hosts. The network lasted until 2005. Then came Air America, which ended up in bankruptcy after Athans served a stint as developer for new programming. His latest is TalkUSA Radio.
Asked by Press if she could be counted on to push for hearings in the Senate this year “to bring these (radio station) owners in and hold them accountable,” Stabenow replied: “I have already had some discussions with colleagues and, you know, I feel like that’s gonna happen. Yep.”
As WND reported, other Democratic legislators have tried to claim talk about a reintroduction of the so-called “Fairness Doctrine” is merely conspiracy-mongering by right-wing talk radio and its partisan cheerleaders.
But other Democrats in the Senate and House – and even a few Republicans – have made no secret of their support for such legislation.
“For many, many years, we operated under a Fairness Doctrine in this country,” Sen. Jeff Bingaman, D-N.M., told Albuquerque radio station KKOB last year. “I think the country was well-served. I think the public discussion was at a higher level and more intelligent in those days than it has become since.”
Sen. John Kerry, D-Mass., told WYNC’s Bryan Lehrer Show in 2007, “I think the Fairness Doctrine ought to be there and I also think equal time doctrine ought to come back.”
In June of last year, John Gizzi reported in Human Events a conversation with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., in which he asked her if she personally supported revival of the “Fairness Doctrine.”
“Yes,” Pelosi answered.
And as recently as December, Rep. Anna Eshoo, D-Calif. – who serves on the Telecommunications and Internet Subcommittee of the House Energy and Commerce Committee – told the Palo Alto Daily Post she still believes in the “Fairness Doctrine” and will work on bringing it back.
“It should and will affect everyone,” Eshoo pledged.
WND left messages requesting a comment at Stabenow’s Washington office as well as each of her Michigan offices. A press spokesman eventually was reached, but he declined to respond, indicating he would take a message.
Said the RadioEqualizer, “Of course, the bigger question remains why it is so seemingly important for liberals to succeed at commercial talk radio, despite such a substantial track record of failure to date. What compels these people to beat a dead horse again and again?”
On the Politico.com forum, one participant concluded, “The Fairness Doctrine is an attempt to silence opposition. From the business perspective there is nothing that prevents liberal radio but it simply failed.”
Added another, “‘Liberal’ radio always fails because the arguments cannot withstand the exposure of details and in depth examination that comes along with the extended debates and discussions in the radio format. When they try to compensate by typical hysteria and emotionalism it wears thin fast with even like-minded ideologues.”
Yet another said, “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press” – Shouldn’t that end this conversation?”
The White House website lists on its technology agenda page that the president plans to “encourage diversity in the ownership of broadcast media, promote the development of new media outlets for expression of diverse viewpoints, and clarify the public interest obligations of broadcasters who occupy the nation’s spectrum.”
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