The Fairness Doctrine doesn't (or didn't - past tense) require that EVERY show broadcast be balanced.

It only required that the totality of broadcasts on a network present an array of diverging views or opinions.

One show could consist entirely of liberal/left views as long as another show presented conservative/right or opposing views.

So, if the Doctrine is applied again (as it will IF a Democrat wins the White House and is able to name the 5th member of the FCC) MSNBC could still run Olbermann's little make believe news program IF it also presented opposing views on the other programs.

"The Fairness Doctrine doesn't (or didn't - past tense) require that EVERY show broadcast be balanced."

In addition, the FD didn't (and won't) apply to cable programs.

'Course, if we get a Democrat in the White House, Olbermann's little news career is kaput.

He can't engage in conspiracy-mongering and smearing if the evil neocons are out of power.

Well, he'll try, I'm sure. Don't underestimate old Grassy Knoll Keith.

Much more to the FD than that OHB. Opposing views on the same program is not one of them.

Opposing view must be available for viewing sometime in a 24 hr cycle OR a 7 day cycle.

MSNBC would schedule Conservative programing say.....Sunday morning 1am to 3am.

Never happen.....mute subject.

Or when viewership is at its lowest.

It goes much further than that, it is also broken down by what viewers SAY they want to watch by percentage of viewership.

On and on blah, blah, blah.

"It goes much further than that, it is also broken down by what viewers SAY they want to watch by percentage of viewership.

Correct me again if I'm wrong on this question:

Isn't it possible to have the FD re-instated simply by replacing the 5th member of the FCC with a Democrat?

E.g., a Democrat wins the WH; replaces the current Republican-appointed 5th member with a Democrat and he/she votes favorably?

No new legislation is needed. A simple 3-2 vote in favor would suffice?

All of that hullabaloo over the Pence legislation is meaningless.

"MSNBC would schedule Conservative programming say....Sunday morning 1am to 3 am."

And when do you think Fox would schedule liberal or moderate programming?

Or, to put it another way, is sometime better than never?

'Course, if we get a Democrat in the White House, Olbermann's little news career is kaput.

He can't engage in conspiracy-mongering and smearing if the evil neocons are out of power.

Well, he'll try, I'm sure. Don't underestimate old Grassy Knoll Keith.

Posted by: Ohboy at July 8, 2007 4:51 PM

Ohboy -- If Hillary is elected, look for Keith to become the Sid Blumenthal of the airwaves, going on the offensive against anyone who questions her policies or inentions ... from the right.

Olbermann's problem is if Hillary starts taking fire from some of the same folks on the left who hold him up as a paragon of virtue today, an option that's not that unlikely, given both her calculating-but-not-insane position on the War on Terror and the far left's anger with her husband back in 1999, which led to the G-8 rioting in Seattle.

If that happens, Keith will then have to choose between alienating his biggest fans today by morphinng himself into Mrs. Clinton's cable news attack dog, or risk his hoped-for connection to power with the Clintons (remember the smarmy check presentation to Bill before the Chris Wallace attack?) by offering up the Koz kids' complaints that the missus isn't far left enough.

Of course, with a Democrat in the White House, he could do something novel by actually trying to report the news straight for a change, but he's already nuked his credibility into a desert of glass, to the point that even if he tried to just ignore the left's complaints about Hillary, instead of attacking them as if they were Limbaugh or O'Reilly, he'll still be branded as a sell-out by the only people actually watching "Countdown" right now. And that could be the final nail in the coffin for the ratings-challenged show.

"And when do you think Fox would schedule liberal or moderate programming?"

Okay, where on the political spectrum do you place Greta? Or Rivera? They're not on at 1 or 2 in the a.m.

Again, FD doesn't (or won't) apply to cable programs. Only publicly-regulated airwaves.

And really, this is about shutting down conservatives on talk radio. The FD would require radio stations to record and keep track of the views expressed over their station.

And then they would have to offer opposing views to "balance" whatever dominant view was being disseminated.

Most smaller stations would just stop broadcasting politically-oriented shows and go with shows on gardening or antique collecting in order to avoid the cumbersome and costly monitoring of their programs.

NBC just spent an entire day (22+ hours) and Lord only knows how much money producing the moonbat spectacular known as Live Earth, mostly for the sake of prodding Al Gore to run for president and giving him publicity. The uberlib lovefest ran continuously on several of NBCU's affiliate networks. All libnuts, all day.

If you believe that the Socialists at 30 Rock will permit conservative viewpoint (spoken in complete sentences) to be broadcast in equivalent amounts to their standard fare of ultra-leftist netroot propaganda, you probably fell and bumped your head.

The idiocy Uberloon spews
NBC likes to call it the news
Past employment checkered
"News show of record"
From the boy with the apricot hues

"NBC just spent an entire day (22+ hours) and Lord only knows how much money producing the moonbat spectacular known as Live Earth..."

What I witnessed of the televised portion was absolutely horrible. I thought Melissa Etheridge's head was going to explode when introducing Algore. Cringe Factor: EXTREME. South Park should parody the Live Earth catastrophe ASAP.

"OK where on the political spectrum do you place Greta, or Rivera?"

I admit I don't spend a lot of quality time with Fox 'News" anymore, but I've never heard Greta discuss politics, and does Rivera actually have a show? ...And if so, when is it on?

Also, is Rivera actually a liberal? The only thing I've heard considered 'liberal' coming from him recently is his immigration stand, which I think is really an apolitical issue anyway. For example, as 'liberal' as most right wingers consider me to be on this blog, I am personally very 'conservative' regarding illegal immigration.

What I believe has skewed the whole liberal/conservative thing into something no longer recognizable is the Iraq War, which I maintain was never really a conservative/liberal issue either....although it has certainly become very much of a Democrat/Republican issue....which is another thing altogether.

Take away the Iraq War, along with Bush's power abuses, competency, secrecy, and personal liberty issues....and then tell me how 'liberal' you think MSNBC really is?

7:26, spoken like a true lefty dunce. First of all, the purpose of the concert was not to affect change; it was to promote Al Gore and his socialist ideology. Second, I agree that we could be better stewards to this planet. I don't think a moonbat movement and its resulting load of lefty propaganda will solve the issue or change anything.

I take a train (electric) to work; I rarely drive and I recycle. Best of all - I use biodiesel and ULSD in my car. So, spare me your crap about how conservatives don't care about the environment and that we are complacent and apathetic. We don't need to be led around by the nose.

7:26 -- Here's a link to Michael Daly's column in Sunday's New York Daily News absolutely laying Al Gore to waste for his arrogant attitude. And nobody would consider Daly to be a conservative (and he does get in a shot or two at George W. Bush in the column):

http://www.nydailynews.com/news/2007/07/08/2007-07-08_son_is_gores_albatross.html

Mike: Rivera is still a liberal, but he falls into the "non-insane" category -- more liberal on the issues of the day then, say, Joe Liebermann, but less than Hillary (who I do not consider to be anywhere near the loon crowd, but is perfectly willing to strategerize to appeal to the Olbermann fans' loopier beliefs if that's what it takes to become president).

How much sense does it take to turn off appliances, drive less, take public transportation and recycle? If you libnuts need a movement to do this, you are dim bulbs (which should be replaced with flourescent bulbs, btw). It's called common sense.

Al Gore - moonbat Pied Piper.

How bout that global warming! That and $50 beers. What a joke and you fools fell for it, loons that is.

Officials at Live Earth Johannesburg have blamed the effects of climate change for poor audience attendance at Saturday's (07Jul07) South African event. Organiser John Langford believes extremely cold weather in the region - it snowed last week (ends06Jul07) for the first time in a quarter of a century - kept people away from the concert, which starred Joss Stone, UB40, Angelique Kidjo and Baaba Maal. Speaking before the event, Langford said, "We're expecting 10,000 here tonight. It's a bit chilly, and we've had a strange winter... is it climate change? We had snow in Jo'burg last week for the first time in 25 years." But critics have blamed poor publicity for the weak turn-out.

Liberal hypocrisy at work.....

In Britain, organisers had to explain Madonna's participation after the US Fox News Network revealed her links to some of the world's biggest polluters. Her Ray of Light Foundation has $US4.2 billion of shares in companies such as the aluminium giant Alcoa, the Ford Motor Company and Weyerhaeuser, a forest products company.

There you go, 8:49. Right on schedule - the libnut defense of hurling insults, obfuscation and changing the subject. I didn't deny global warming at all, yet you are making it seem like I did. You're pulling an Olby: twist the facts into the "truth" you want people to believe as opposed to what really happened. An inconvenient truth?

I have a whole bunch of trees on my property.....and I am going to cut them all down to build my new house. But before I do I am going to taunt them with my chain saw. I am going to poke at them then swing the saw in hacking motions just before I bury the chain completely through their hide.....do you think they will know?

What will happen to KO if Hill is elected?...we all know after KO handed Bill that check for "charity" that he's going to be nothing but a Clinton ass kisser for 4 years..are people really going to turn into a program where he tells us over and over again how great the Clintons are...when every other member of the MSM is doing it too?..I mean what would his "Special Comments" be about..with the Dems. in complete control of the Goverment who will KO talk "Truth to Power" to?

mlong, If a dem wins, which they won't, Olbermahn would have to resort to Fox News (#1) attacks for the full hour instead of just a half hours worth of lies and spin against Fox News #1. Did I say that Fox News is #1?

I can't imagine Hill being elected because it's never going to happen. The entire GOP and enough Dems hate her enough to make her un-electable. Poor polarizing Hill.

It doesn't matter who gets the liberal nomination, when the voters find out how much the Dems want to raise their taxes for socialized medicine (et cetera), it is all over.

when the voters find out how much the Dems want to raise their taxes for socialized medicine (et cetera), it is all over.
------
Better to spend billions of dollars we don't have or are borrowing from China, Saudi Arabia or the like to finance a poorly planned and executed Occupation? That is sound fiscal policy.

I do caution care. While I don't want to see Senator Clinton in the White House, I never thought Americans would vote for Bush.

Ohboy -- If Hillary is elected, look for Keith to become the Sid Blumenthal of the airwaves, going on the offensive against anyone who questions her policies or inentions ... from the right.

Posted by: John at July 8, 2007 7:59 PM

Pretty much a dead-on prediction. One caveat. Don't look for the left, even the most ardent anti-war conspiracy behind every teapot leftist, to be any thing more than Hillary's greatest fan in office. No matter what.

Remember, right now...after 9/11, YOU are more a threat to them in their book than any terrorist on the planet ( that you and yours have feverishly concocted in order to instill fear or recruited by fascists actions and policies).

This certainly won't change, even when Hillary does a double somersaut jack-knife away from them post-primary or even post-election.

No matter how much they bemoaned those policies then, they'll lay down if she embraces them THEN....

They'll justify that by saying that Job One is to protect her from the biggest threat to our civilization. Yeah. That would be YOU.

Maybe we'll borrow some money from Al Gore to pay for socialized medicine. How much did Live Earth rake in? Maybe they have a few bucks to spare. How much were the concert tickets? Nearly $400? And the donations? Sounds like a plan.

Maybe Edwards can toss in a few bucks too-that is if he can stop paying $1,000 bucks for a haircut.

Cecelia:

There really is two different types of "left" -- there's the honest-to-God left, that really, truly believes all the claims thrown out not just about Bush, Cheney, Rove, Libby or whoever, but really think America and capitalism is the root of all evil, no matter which party is in power. They're the ones who had no qualms about attacking Seattle during the G-8 summit when Clinton was president, and they're the ones most in rapture over Keith's Special Comments right now.

The other "left" -- the one Hillary belongs to -- is the situational "left". They actually do understand that there is a global war on terror and there is a threat from Islamic facists, and that America is not the Great Satan, even with the Republicans in the White House. But they take an ends-justifies-the-means attitude and are perfectly willing to go as far out on a limb with the far left as they think is safely possible without ruining their chances to win in November 2008.

If Hillary runs, I have no doubt most on the far left will wildly supporter her, and that both her staff and the moonbat leftists like Keith will try to gin up Fred Thompson Derangement Syndrome, Mitt Romney Derangement Syndrome or Rudy Giuliani Derangement Syndrome among the public, depending on who the GOP nominee is (New York City liberals actually have had Giuliani Derangement Syndrome since 1989, so they've got a head start on that, and it explains in large part why the New York-based Olbermann is already in full tinfoil hat mode against a Giuliani presidency). The problem is if Mrs. Clinton actually wins and follows the playbook of her husband after the disastrous 1994 midterm election, she'll govern to the center in full Dick Morris triangulation mode, which will drive her far left supports wild.

Of course, Hillary may have a big enough ego to think she can do as president in 2009 what she and Bill couldn't do in 1993 in terms of tax increase, socialized medicine, gays in the military, etc. In that case, Judgment Day for "Countdown" will be put off for a while. But if Hillary governs to the middle and anger's Keith's most loyal (and in many cases, only regular) viewers, he'll have to choose between losing possible nights in the Lincoln Bedroom with losing the few reliable supporter "Countdown" now has.

According to the all knowing Cecelia, the 'left' are divided into two camps....but neither of them are good and honorable.

Oh wise one Cecelia....how many types of 'right' are there? Are they all good, since you seem to believe all 'types' of lefties are 'bad'?

Where does that leave 'lefties' like me Cecelia??.....You know; those of us who DON'T believe America is the Great Satin?....Those of us who understand that while there is an actual war on terror, the idiot in charge has only made it worse?....Those of us who grasp that the War in Iraq and the War on Terror are NOT one and the same?...Those of us that understand that Bush's policies have compounded our challenges exponentially?....Those of us who are Capitalists ourselves yet we are somehow constantly being acccused of being anti-capitalists?....Those of us who just want competent, pragmatic, and corruption free leadership, but tire of constantly having our very capitalistic and pro-American ideal of demanding the best for America attacked as irrational "Bush bashing".

Somehow, in Cecelia's strange right wing world, "Bush hating", and "America hating" by definition is being critical of a leadership who's proven track record of competence, accomplishment, and honesty would not have allowed them to keep a job sweeping floors in everyday Capitalist America, but is perfectly acceptable as leaders of the 'free' world.

I do have to apologize Cecelia....I mistook the 11:55 anon post as yours, when in fact it was only addressed to you.

Touched a nerve there, did I, Mike?

Actually, I don't doubt there are liberals out there who are not calculatingly using the same game-planning/scamming of the far left as Hillary and her crew, while at the same time they know that she's attempting triangulation of her own between the Democratic Party's left, its center, and the moderates she'll need to win the general election. Politics as usual in their eyes, and that explains the outpouring of financial support for Barak Obama, who at this time remains an open book to those within the party, but at the same time is positioned to the right of John Edwards, whose efforts to lasso the Olbermann left have been sabotaged by stuff like the non-populist $1,250 haircut-and-travel fiasco. Staying to the right of Edwards makes Obama viable in the general election, but without the overt naked ambition of Mrs. Clinton.

As for the far left -- the territory Olbermann is staking out -- this latest one is funny, unless you're New York Times columnist David Brooks: Olby terrorism "expert" Larry Johnson apparently has been stalking Brooks and photgraphing outside his home after Brooks made comments critical of Johnson on The News Hour with Jim Lehrer.
http://noquarter.typepad.com/my_weblog/2007/07/bobos-mailbox.html

No wonder Larry Johnson is telling "Countdown" viewers they don't have to fear terrorists -- these guys can't hold a candle to Larry Johnson when it comes to creepy behavior.

Wow--a whackjob is one of Olbermann's experts-who would have thunk it huh?

And no, the radical left wing of the Democratic party (which represents about 99.9% of their membership) do NOT like HRC. See, she's just not radical enough for them. Go check out Talking Points Memo, Daily Kos, or Democratic Underground for proof. They aren't fans. Many are still hoping for the return of Al Gore to the political stage however. Hope dies hard I guess.

It is about the numbers folks.....for the popular vote, when polled 17-20% of the Democrats say they would never vote for HRC, the percentage is much higher in the other 2 party's, Republicans-Independents, it is statistically impossible for her to win.

With the electoral vote, should Rudy be either candidate on the ticket, and the Republicans take either New York or Pennsylvania or both they could loose Florida and Ohio and still win big.

At this time it is almost statistically impossible to figure a Democratic win. Popular or electoral.

I heard Juan Williams' take on one of the Fox shows last night and thought it pretty insightful. He said with the climate right now in favor of the Democrats, the only way to lose the election is to nominate Hillary. (I am paraphrasing Williams).

BTW, I was watching Fox because MSNBC was in the middle of a doc bloc marathon and CNN was repeating a documentary I had already seen. You have to add these kind of statements to preempt the Olbyloon response about Fox.

Sharon, you don't have to explain to anyone why you were watching Fox News (#1), especially the sp's. You are caving....

No, not caving. Just being me.

Dan Patrick is leaving ESPN August 17, 2007 (just a few weeks left for gems from Olbermann on radio, unless Patrick takes Olbermann with him).

Interesting tidbit. KO FANS write KO's Wiki Page. (Personally, I think Olbermann writes it himself, I would). Maybe thats why Olbermann's nazi salute photo was removed from his Wiki page.

Regular poster at a KO fan site: relevent torture, which just moved: http://bloggingolbermann.com/

Now if you'll excuse me, I'll update the links page on Wikipedia's Countdown with KO page.
By jamescraven on Monday, July 9, 2007 12:32 pm | Permalink

If only he'd take Olbermann with him (and off of television). . .

Posted by Brandon: "If only he'd take Olbermann with him (and off television). . ."

Heaven forbid!...Then what would YOU do Brandon???

Olbermann is going to do a Barry Bonds comment on NBC nightly news tomorrow.

I see that they aren't letting him talk politics on the Mothership. Let him talk about what he thinks he knows about: baseball.

"I see that they aren't letting him talk politics on the Mothership. Let him talk about what he thinks he knows about: baseball."

###
I came to the same conclusion....especially after his grand statement last week....Resign!

That speech fell like a lead balloon. The red meat was good for a brief tick-up in the ratings....to second place, but Olbermann returned to 3rd again. The fact that no mainstream media outlet covered Olbermann's brave demand shows just how marginalized he and those that love him are.

NBC News knows the loon Olbermann is and it is interesting he is willing to be controlled in the Nightly News venue.

Really, with such serious news of executive criminality, lies, deceipt and abuse of power...Olbermann is really covering a big issue on his national network premiere!?!

They don't want him stinking up their airwaves with his far-left, radical notions. And I'll give him this: he does know sports, or at least baseball.

My guess is this is a test, to see how the Nightly News' audience reacts to just the appearance of Olbermann on the show -- do his "Countdown" followers follow him there, and give Brian Williams' slumping newscast a ratings boost, or do they end up with no ratings bump but a bunch of viewer complaints that make any further Keith appearances not worth the effort. Start Keith on a subject like Bonds where his view (Barry bad) is basically in the majority, and then if the coast is clear, trot him out again later to start commenting on politics.

My personal hope is this is exactly what happens, and then Keith gets called out by some NFL coach or player on NBC's Sunday Night NFL pregame show in front of millions of football fans, after he makes some sort of guess-what-the-color-of-the-sky-is-in-my-world commentary on the big network two or three nights earlier.

Cut the funds....bring the troops home now!

Given a choice among the Police, John Mayer and Madonna on television or a summer's night out, millions of Americans chose the latter.

The Live Earth concert, Al Gore's sprawling worldwide effort to raise environmental awareness, wasn't a big television draw. NBC's Saturday-night highlights show was seen by 2.75 million people, according to Nielsen Media Research, or fewer people than watched the soccer match between Argentina and Peru that night on Univision.