Nothing New Under the Sun

One recent vanity is the potential revival of the “Fairness Doctrine,” which mandates that radio stations give opposing viewpoints equal airtime. Fr. Neuhaus noted a previous attempt and the protests of Evangelical broadcasters in the February 1994 Public Square :

[Evangelicals’] concern is entirely warranted, but it also reflects an interesting twist. Many years ago, mainline Protestants strongly favored the Fairness Doctrine. It gave them a crack at radio and television time, although usually in what came to be called “the Sunday morning ghetto.” Fundamentalists (as Evangelicals were then called) remained aloof from such “worldly” communications, except for a few paid programs. In the last twenty years, however, Evangelical Protestants have built a veritable empire of hundreds of radio stations and cable television programs. Apart from Mother Angelica and the VISN cable program, Catholics and oldline Protestants have not been very adept in this field. Originally, the Fairness Doctrine gave Catholics and oldliners access to the “secular” media. Now Evangelicals oppose it for fear that it will give secularists access to their media.

So what’s fair? According to the experts on fiber optics and the like, we’re on the edge of a revolution in which the established networks will shrink in importance as average Americans will have access to hundreds of TV channels. As for radio, exaggerated reports of its demise forty years ago have long since given way to the recognition of its indispensability in maintaining free expression on public affairs. This is no time for expanding government control of communications. Let a thousand flowers bloom, and let the FCC keep its hands off them.

As then, so now: Let there be nothing new under the sun.