Dems target right wing nazi radio

Dems target right-wing talk radio

Posted: 11:08 AM ET

From CNN Radio's Dick Uliano

Rep. Maurice Hinchey is targeting right-wing radio.

WASHINGTON (CNN) — More and More Democrats in Congress are calling for action that Republicans warn could muzzle right-wing talk radio.

Representative Maurice Hinchey, a Democrat from New York is the latest to say he wants to bring back the "Fairness Doctrine," a federal regulation scrapped in 1987 that would require broadcasters to present opposing views on public issues.

"I think the Fairness Doctrine should be reinstated," Hinchey told CNNRadio. Hinchey says he could make it part of a bill he plans to introduce later this year overhauling radio and t-v ownership laws.

Listen: Hinchey says he wants to make talk-radio more fair

Democratic Senators Debbie Stabenow of Michigan and Tom Harkin of Iowa added their voices recently to those calling for a return of the regulation.

Republicans oppose the Fairness Doctrine, arguing it would be wrong for the federal government to monitor political speech on the airwaves, in order to require opposing views.

Republican Congressman Greg Walden, a former owner of five radio stations in Oregon including a "classic rock" station joked that the Fairness Doctrine is "the musical equivalent" of "every time we'd play a classic rock song we'd have to play a polka!"

MCL comment: I think the question should be why there so many right talk shows when there's only 23% of the country agrees with them? Around here Detroit has one progressive talk station but we have two right wing talk stations WJR and "News"talk 1400 and this isn't just Detroit, cities that lean progressive or like Detroit overwhelming Democratic yet there's only one or no progressive station around. But if you want to hear Rush, Sean Hannity and their numerous clones on the radio all you need is to hit the scan button on your radio and boom there you go.The thing I'm hearing is that places are dropping progressive talk even though they're doing well, this isn't about people wanting to hear liberal talk or not it's about these owners wanting to stack the deck with these right wing hacks to distort political discourse and dumb down Americans. As for right wing talk what is their value? I listen a bit to them it's nothing more then paranoia, lies and hate.