equal time controversy

[Garrett Wollman]

<<On Mon, 04 Jun 2012 20:37:11 -0400, Donna Halper <dlh@donnahalper.com> said:

> Democrats (or Republicans, for that matter), does radio still have a 
> duty to present both sides of major issues when a small group of 
> corporate owners control all the stations?

I have three answers:

1) What do you mean, "both sides"?  Most important issues have either
one side or several; very few questions of public importance actually
come with two sides -- that's just an illusion created to reinforce
the interests of the two large political parties; it's not reality.

2) Legally, not at all.  Morally, probably.  It would help if
producers and hosts were sufficiently knowledgeable to distinguish
between the loonies and those with credible opinions.

3) Given how much radio time is sold to quacks and frauds of various
kinds, I don't honestly expect any commercial broadcaster to treat any
important issue with due seriousness outside of the Sunday morning
public-affairs ghetto.

-GAWollman