Localism Could Do What the Fairness Doctrine Won't Do

There doesn't seem to be a lot of enthusiasm for the Fairness Doctrine right now, even with Dems set to take over overthing in D.C. However, the Dems won't have to reenact the Fairness Doctrine in order to destroy conservative talk radio:

Despite concerns on the right about the re-imposition of the Fairness Doctrine to stifle talk radio — there seems to be little appetite for such a move. However, there is alarm over something called "localism." The Federal Communications Commission Web site says, "Promoting localism is a key goal of the commission's media ownership rules."

But the Canada Free Press, for example, calls it "the emerging threat to conservative talk radio."

The FCC requires stations to serve the interests of their local communities in order to keep their broadcast licenses. Some view that as a threat to nationally syndicated talk shows.

In September of 2007 — then-senator Barack Obama wrote a letter to the FCC promoting localism and media diversity. Jim Boulet Jr., on the conservative American thinker Web site says: "Obama needs only three votes from the five-member FCC to define localism in such a way that no radio station would dare air any syndicated conservative programming."

Nothing would surprise me with the new administration. I would have to think that even the Dems would be a little hesitant to do anything that would cause the kind of outcry that killing conservative talk radio would cause.