This is pretty interesting for multiple reasons

[Independent thinker]

Late night entertainment shows are legally required to be politically unbiased?

The free over the air networks are the networks. ABC, CBS, NBC, PBS - anything that is free and over the air. Anytime there is "network" programming, they are required to serve 100% of the population. Late night comedy shows on these networks fall into this category since they are broadcast for free over the air through a network. You're not serving 100% of the population if you have an obvious bias, which is in violation of their broadcasting license. Kimmel can say whatever the hell he wants if he is on cable or a streaming service but when his viewers are watching him on free over the air networks, the programming must benefit 100% of the audience, which means he has to at least make an attempt to appeal to both sides, crack jokes about both sides, etc. He can't have a biased one sided show while being seen on free over the air broadcast networks or the network could possibly lose their broadcast license.

 

[TimFitz]

Fox News gets their fair share of criticism from me, but it pales in comparison to any of the leftist tripe put out by MSNOW or the alphabet channels.

Fox is not a news organization. it was never intended to be.

It was intended to be right wing talk radio with pictures.

And it has exactly the same nearly all white audience.

 

[BackAgain]

Good question. The short answer is "No". Those who say it does are ignorant and, mostly likely, fools.

Fairness doctrine - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

QED

It is a good question, but your basis for saying “no” is just your usual spew.

The actual reason that it is a “good” question is because it addresses a claim upon which President Trump has asked for the network to cancel the Kimmel show.

 

[Divine Wind]

The free over the air networks are the networks. ABC, CBS, NBC, PBS - anything that is free and over the air. Anytime there is "network" programming, they are required to serve 100% of the population. Late night comedy shows on these networks fall into this category since they are broadcast for free over the air through a network. You're not serving 100% of the population if you have an obvious bias, which is in violation of their broadcasting license. Kimmel can say whatever the hell he wants if he is on cable or a streaming service but when his viewers are watching him on free over the air networks, the programming must benefit 100% of the audience, which means he has to at least make an attempt to appeal to both sides, crack jokes about both sides, etc. He can't have a biased one sided show while being seen on free over the air broadcast networks or the network could possibly lose their broadcast license.

There is no such requirement.

Over 500 years ago, John Lydgate wrote “You can please some of the people all of the time and you can please all of the people some of the time, but you can’t please all of the people al of the time.”

Wise words which your claim of about pleasing, or serving, 100% opposes.

 

[BackAgain]

That ^ is a very thoughtful recounting of the legal argument the lawyers for the FCC will be proceeding on.

Really good post. Appreciate it.

 

[jacksonlamb]

The free over the air networks are the networks. ABC, CBS, NBC, PBS - anything that is free and over the air. Anytime there is "network" programming, they are required to serve 100% of the population. Late night comedy shows on these networks fall into this category since they are broadcast for free over the air through a network. You're not serving 100% of the population if you have an obvious bias, which is in violation of their broadcasting license. Kimmel can say whatever the hell he wants if he is on cable or a streaming service but when his viewers are watching him on free over the air networks, the programming must benefit 100% of the audience, which means he has to at least make an attempt to appeal to both sides, crack jokes about both sides, etc. He can't have a biased one sided show while being seen on free over the air broadcast networks or the network could possibly lose their broadcast license.

Poor analysis. Free speech is free speech. End of story. Go home.

 

[MarathonMike]

Disney's ABC challenges FCC, escalating fight over free speech — Los Angeles Times

The Walt Disney Co. owned network's salvo sets the stage for a 1st Amendment fight

apple.news

CBS is taking-on the FCC. And the complaint is that the FCC abuses its official regulatory authority to suppress freedom of speech.

I have to confess that there is something to be said about the balls of owners of CBS. I see some pretty high stakes poker going on, here.

But, whatever opinion I have about that company (generally I think ill of it), I think the owners have shown some courage in proceeding in this way. For, they are risking their license.

EDIT. I failed to qualify my lingo. I should have added

“ . . . or at least they think they are if they believe their own argument.”

Yeah because assassination jokes is what wholesome family entertainment is all about, right DISNEY?

 

[MarathonMike]

Poor analysis. Free speech is free speech. End of story. Go home.

Yeah unless the Woke Mob deems it "Hate Speech".

 

[Independent thinker]

There is no such requirement.

Over 500 years ago, John Lydgate wrote “You can please some of the people all of the time and you can please all of the people some of the time, but you can’t please all of the people al of the time.”

Wise words which your claim of about pleasing, or serving, 100% opposes.

No exactly sure what you mean there but, free over the air broadcasting is not about just serving the left wing and refusing to provide programming for the other side. That violates their broadcast license.

 

[Divine Wind]

No exactly sure what you mean there but, free over the air broadcasting is not about just serving the left wing and refusing to provide programming for the other side. That violates their broadcast license.

No one except you is claiming they only serve the left wing. Sorry, but I'm not a conspiracy theorist. Enjoy!

 

[Independent thinker]

Poor analysis. Free speech is free speech. End of story. Go home.

Not what the broadcast license says. The license requires them to provide programming for all of their viewers, not biased programming for just 50% of their viewers. If their programming is aimed at only 50% of their viewers then they are in breech of their broadcasting license. Kimmel can say whatever the hell he wants, as biased as he wants, when not being broadcast over a free over the air network. But, if he's being broadcast over a free over the air network he is required to be more fair and balanced with his jokes. If he's obviously only broadcasting in a totally biased fashion then the network is in violation of their license. It's OK to tell anti-Trump jokes but he also has to tell anti-democrat jokes as well or the network is not serving all of their viewership.

 

[Divine Wind]

Not what the broadcast license says. The license requires them to provide programming for all of their viewers, not biased programming for just 50% of their viewers. If their programming is aimed at only 50% of their viewers then they are in breech of their broadcasting license. Kimmel can say whatever the hell he wants, as biased as he wants, when not being broadcast over a free over the air network. But, if he's being broadcast over a free over the air network he is required to be more fair and balanced with his jokes. If he's obviously only broadcasting in a totally biased fashion then the network is in violation of their license. It's OK to tell anti-Trump jokes but he also has to tell anti-democrat jokes as well or the network is not serving all of their viewership.

Link to this? Did Trump change the rules?

 

[BackAgain]

That ^ is a very thoughtful recounting of the legal argument the lawyers for the FCC will be proceeding on.

Really good post. Appreciate it.

Since I can’t edit that post, let’s just say oooooppppss

 

[TimFitz]

No exactly sure what you mean there but, free over the air broadcasting is not about just serving the left wing and refusing to provide programming for the other side. That violates their broadcast license.

So bring back the Fairness Doctrine.

So ironic (and hypocrtical) of you to whine about serving all the people whe. Your preferred “news” sources do the opposite.

 

[konradv]

Thirty years ago, I had an abiding respect for CBS--no more. CBS, like their two counterparts ABC and NBC as well as Fox have abandoned objective journalism for becoming mouthpieces for globalist democrats in the US.

Globalism is the future. Get used to it.

 

[Montrovant]

The free over the air networks are the networks. ABC, CBS, NBC, PBS - anything that is free and over the air. Anytime there is "network" programming, they are required to serve 100% of the population. Late night comedy shows on these networks fall into this category since they are broadcast for free over the air through a network. You're not serving 100% of the population if you have an obvious bias, which is in violation of their broadcasting license. Kimmel can say whatever the hell he wants if he is on cable or a streaming service but when his viewers are watching him on free over the air networks, the programming must benefit 100% of the audience, which means he has to at least make an attempt to appeal to both sides, crack jokes about both sides, etc. He can't have a biased one sided show while being seen on free over the air broadcast networks or the network could possibly lose their broadcast license.

I'd like to see the language in these licenses that says biases in programming are not allowed. Is serving the population a question of program content, or simply of allowing anyone to access the content? It seems more likely to me that it would be the latter.

Another question would be how to define political bias and what qualifies as being unbiased. For example, if Kimmel tells jokes about a Dem, is his show now unbiased and allowed to continue forever? What about independents and those who are part of a third party? Could they complain and get the network license revoked if Kimmel doesn't include each of their particular POVs in his show?

What about other types of bias? Is any religious programming a license violation, unless it caters to ALL religions? Is a local sports program a violation because it shows a clear bias for the local teams? There are endless ways your premise could be argued to violate the license if any sort of bias is a violation.

 

[Independent thinker]

I'd like to see the language in these licenses that says biases in programming are not allowed. Is serving the population a question of program content, or simply of allowing anyone to access the content? It seems more likely to me that it would be the latter.

Another question would be how to define political bias and what qualifies as being unbiased. For example, if Kimmel tells jokes about a Dem, is his show now unbiased and allowed to continue forever? What about independents and those who are part of a third party? Could they complain and get the network license revoked if Kimmel doesn't include each of their particular POVs in his show?

What about other types of bias? Is any religious programming a license violation, unless it caters to ALL religions? Is a local sports program a violation because it shows a clear bias for the local teams? There are endless ways your premise could be argued to violate the license if any sort of bias is a violation.

Free over the air networks have always been given a lot of leeway, to the point they have become biased pieces of garbage. That's where we are at right now and the Trump administration is getting to the point of trying to change that. They have a very good argument that the networks are not providing a public service to all of their viewers and are only providing programming to a certain segment of the population, in violation of their broadcast licenses. You can be as biased as you want on cable or paid services but not on free over the air broadcast networks.

This will be headed to the courts and, of course, the left will sue and shop these lawsuits to friendly courts where they will win but would most likely be overturned on up the ladder and has little chance with the US Supreme Court. These free over the air broadcast networks will hopefully be forced to provide service and programming to more than just one side and very biased programming such as The View, Kimmel, SNL, the news itself, and others will be forced to be more fair and balanced than they currently are or will have to find a new home on either cable or paid subscription services.

 

[jacksonlamb]

Not what the broadcast license says. The license requires them to provide programming for all of their viewers, not biased programming for just 50% of their viewers. If their programming is aimed at only 50% of their viewers then they are in breech of their broadcasting license. Kimmel can say whatever the hell he wants, as biased as he wants, when not being broadcast over a free over the air network. But, if he's being broadcast over a free over the air network he is required to be more fair and balanced with his jokes. If he's obviously only broadcasting in a totally biased fashion then the network is in violation of their license. It's OK to tell anti-Trump jokes but he also has to tell anti-democrat jokes as well or the network is not serving all of their viewership.

stop the "oh, woe is poor me" conspiracy theory.

 

[jacksonlamb]

Fox is not a news organization. it was never intended to be.

It was intended to be right wing talk radio with pictures.

And it has exactly the same nearly all white audience.

It is registered as an "Entertainment" business.

 

[jacksonlamb]

Yeah because assassination jokes is what wholesome family entertainment is all about, right DISNEY?

Don't listen.