I agree! The idea of shadowy right-wing groups controlling the media and force-feeding people propaganda is ridiculous. They respond to the market, and broadcast what is popular. Their shareholders would have their heads if the corporations put on something no one listened to. If there is a popular liberal show, great - more power to them! But the government shouldn't compel it. This isn't Cuba.
What liberal show are the people clamoring for that they aren't getting? It's PEOPLE who have rights, not viewpoints. And does anyone really think that if these "greedy corporations" could get huge ratings and ad revenue from a left-leaning host, they would still NOT put them on? Hogwash. These bureaucratic thinkers have no conception of how the market works.
People say they just want "both sides" to be aired. But how it will work in practice is that programmers will pull all political programming off the air, because it's not worth the hassle to count every second each view gets, not to mention identifying what the views are, and what is a worthy "alternative." Do KKK members get time to debate racial equality? Programmers won't want the headache; everything will be silenced. There will be less debate, not more. And the people advocating this know it.
I think the problem is DENIAL. Many on the left don't believe there is a legitimate conservative view, or that many people actually hold those views. They think of the New York Times and CBS as "mainstream" rather than more to the left. They simply refuse to believe that many, many people are much more conservative, and that it's a "legitimate" point of view. They think conservatives win elections because the voting machines are rigged, and that people listen to Rush Limbaugh because they are forced, or duped, into doing so, or they are just "stuipd people." Again, they are in a coccoon and simply do not believe (or don't want to believe) that conservatives are out there, and have intelligent, sincerely held and well thought-out views. And then they turn around and say Bush is in a bubble! Look in the mirror, I say.
I would be interested if people could come up with conservatives not only criticizing the liberal outlets, but actively trying to silence them. It doesn't happen. We're willing to stand up, and debate.
it disgusts me beyone words that elected leaders could actually seriously consider the regulation of the political content of broadcasts, and that segments of the public could cheer them on.
Thanks for getting my blood going in the morning!