Fox's days numbered
Fox News knows its days are numbered. Already Fox, the Rupert Murdoch news network, which asserts fair and balanced reporting, is attacking the growing sentiment in Congress and across America to resurrect the now defunct "equal time" provision. "Equal time" was a FCC provision which insured news reporting was clear and not skewed, and when commentary is included mandates counter-arguments by authoritive and knowledgeable individuals not on the station's payroll.
From the inception of television and radio, one of the requirements in being granted a operative certificate was the mandate of unbiased and factual reporting. From the outset, FCC regulators recognized that an overzealous, politically motivated network could prejudice its listeners and erode the fundamental appreciation of honest and factual reporting.
Fox News has become just that vehicle. This "in-depth opinionated news" has become its mainstay.
Before Fox News rose to popularity, no single network could "pitch" an opinioned message disguised as "in-depth news" owing to "equal time" protections. As much as "equal time" served Americans well for over 50 years, the provision was repealed during the Reagan Administration on the premise it was a burden to stations.
Our society is increasingly diverse and less homogenized, demanding greater opportunity for expression of a wide scope of opinions. By continuing to permit any network to promote a limited or single political viewpoint, unrestricted without a mandate to expose its audience to alternative viewpoints, will fuel a biased and prejudicial society -- a society unable to accommodate the breath of diversity which already lives in our communities.
WADE C. EAGLETON
Bakersfield
