Senator Debbie Stabenow (D-MI) this morning told radio host Bill Press that she thinks that so-called "Fairness Doctrine" -- or something akin to it -- should be brought back to the airwaves.
The Fairness Doctrine refers to an FCC policy, eliminated under Ronald Reagan, that requires broadcasters who use publicly owned airwaves to present both sides of controversial issues. It was used during the civil rights era to keep radio in the Deep South from using their stations to oppose civil rights.
The basic concept is that the airwaves are a finite resource, owned by the public and, therefore, should not be used to promoted a biased point of view. But some conservatives fear that the revival of the doctrine is an attack on conservative talk radio which came of age after the doctrine was abolished.
New Yorker audio interview with Kelefa Sanneh, who profiled the bombastic, enigmatic talk show host Micheal Savage for the magizine. This piece is unique for the New Yorker in that it uses multiple clips from Savage's radio show.
In case you haven't been over to see it. New NPR website launched a couple days ago. This video has NPR's Scott Simon explaining the new features. One commenter on YouTube says "This is a beautiful web site! Will this help avoid layoffs?"
Apropos to nothing, really. I like this 2000 Transom interview with the late Studs Terkel. "I'd gone to law school and it was a bleak horrendous experience. Under no circumstances would I ever practice law."
Search Engine with Jesse Brown with a unique interview of Ira Glass about the internet and public radio. Search Engine is from TVO"Ontario's public educational media organization and a trusted source of interactive educational content that informs, inspires, and stimulates curiosity and thought."
Six men who have become islands of loss, guilt, and illness, also live as islands of hope. Over twenty years, they've lost lovers and friends to HIV and AIDS. A beautifully crafted and engaging documentary in the 2009 Global Perspectives series.
An interview with the renowned BBC radio features producer, Piers Plowright. From the Radio Radio series, by PennSound at the University of Pennsylvania and Ubu. A masterclass, and insight into the mind of the man who forms the programmes.
After hosting the UK's most popular breakfast programme for 27 years, Sir Terry Wogan called it a day, on 18 December 2009. He says goodbye to his hugely loyal and involved listenership, on BBC Radio 2.
