II
111th CONGRESS
1st Session
S. 62
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
January 6, 2009
Mr. Inhofe introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation
A BILL
To prevent the Federal Communications Commission from repromulgating the fairness doctrine.
Short title
This Act may be cited as
the Broadcaster Freedom Act of
2009
.
Fairness doctrine prohibited
Title III of the Communications Act of 1934 is amended by inserting after section 303 (47 U.S.C. 303) the following new section:
Limitation on general powers: fairness doctrine
Notwithstanding section 303 or any other
provision of this Act or any other Act authorizing the Commission to prescribe
rules, regulations, policies, doctrines, standards, or other requirements, the
Commission shall not have the authority to prescribe any rule, regulation,
policy, doctrine, standard, or other requirement that has the purpose or effect
of reinstating or repromulgating (in whole or in part) the requirement that
broadcasters present opposing viewpoints on controversial issues of public
importance, commonly referred to as the Fairness Doctrine
, as
repealed in General Fairness Doctrine Obligations of Broadcast Licensees, 50
Fed. Reg. 35418
(1985).
.