haven't decided if its good or bad

Obama Does Not Support Return of Fairness Doctrine - 6/25/2008 6:25:00 PM - Broadcasting & Cable:

"'[T]hat is why Senator Obama supports media ownership caps, network neutrality, public broadcasting, as well as increasing minority ownership of broadcasting and print outlets.'

The fairness doctrine issue flared up in recent days after reports that House Speaker Nancy Pelosi was talking about a Democratic push to reinstate it, though it was unclear at press time whether that was a new pledge or the restating of a long-held position."

Coming from an incredibly liberal state, it would be interesting to hear more conservative views on certain stations in our state ... I think the democrats may find this working against them really instead of for them. Most conservatives I know can talk rings around the liberals until the sun sets.

I would like to know what is keeping minorities from owning media & print outlets now? Um....nothing. I know a lot of people will say 'money' ... but that is really doing minorities a disservice to assume that none of them have money enough to own media of any sort. A real disservice.

Ownership caps - now if I remember correctly this keeps one person/group from owning more than one station on each band (AM/FM) = not sure how this applies to cable/satellite. My understanding is that this was so that the government realized early the power of the media and sought to prevent foreign interests from taking over airwaves and influence the public.

Neutrality - okay ... I think this depends on how it is applied. If it is also applied to PBS stations it could be a good thing (very, very liberal)...however there is something to be said for free speech and freedom of association and freedom of expression ... I mean why does the government have a right to tell a radio station what they can or can not broadcast as long as it isn't hate-speech or inciting a disturbance??
Why should the government be able to say that a station (tv/cable/internet/radio) can lean more right, left, centrist? We they then also say that all the faith-owned stations have to refrain from giving what they feel are their 'moral' views? That doesn't make sense.

Public Broadcasting - my problem with public broadcasting is that they tend to be liberal and only give liberal views -- even when they dress it as a non-political broadcast, it is still underlying liberal. Now the story doesn't say whether he is talking about increasing the number of PBstations or if he is talking increasing funding.
As far as funding - they should be held to the same standards as other institutions which receive public funding ... don't get me wrong - I grew up watching PBS shows like 'Sesame Street', 'Electric Company', 'Nova', and 'Cosmos'. I even enjoy programs like 'American Experience' and 'Masterpeice' ... but programs such as 'Nova' have taken a leftwinged stance as have others I've seen. I don't listen to Public Radio much other than for senate hearings and the like where I want to hear the full dialog (like the Ollie North trial, or the Clinton impeachment) - but other than that, we already have a leftwing radio station ... I don't need to hear another. Public Broadcasting was supposed to be doing the job that Community Broadcasting is doing these days. Public Broadcasting has become an industry in and of itself - watch a show ... the ones I've seen have at least a minute commercial at the begin for their major sponser -- HELLO? what happened to 'commercial free?' they even stick them in the middle sometimes.

Like I said ... I haven't decided yet.