04/03/2008 09:00 AM Senate STATE AFFAIRS

                  HJR 32-BROADCASTING INDUSTRY                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR MCGUIRE announced consideration of HJR 32.                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
9:43:55 AM                                                                                                                    
REPRESENTATIVE  BILL STOLTZE, Alaska  State Legislature,  said HJR
  is  an expression  of  support  for  free competition  of  the                                                              
airways.  Talk  radio   is  a  free  marketplace  of   ideas  -  a                                                              
phenomenon that came  about in the late 1980s after  the repeal of                                                              
the Fairness  Doctrine. The  doctrine required  a station  to give                                                              
equal  time to  opposite points  of  view. In  a competitive  free                                                              
market,  it  didn't  work. Talk  radio  frequently  discusses  new                                                              
sewers  and  non-controversial  issues. It  is  acknowledged  that                                                              
this format saved  AM radio from oblivion. Craig  Johnson referred                                                              
to is  as a  dinosaur that doesn't  fit in  the business  model of                                                              
competitiveness.  "The reason  this  resolution is  before you  is                                                              
there are  efforts in  Congress to express  support and  to repeal                                                              
it from different  factions." He said Senator Durbin  said it will                                                              
be repealed.  There are  resolutions too.  HJR 32 doesn't  address                                                              
and specific  legislation.  It purposely  didn't address  the type                                                              
of content  because there is a  lot of biased information.  He has                                                              
only  addressed the  principle  of open  and  free competition  of                                                              
ideas --  liberal or  conservative. That is  not relevant,  but it                                                              
becomes part  of the larger  debate. He has  been on the  good and                                                              
bad side of talk  radio. It is probably the last  unfiltered form.                                                              
Some folks  view it as the  most important level of  political and                                                              
social discourse and  some see it as entertainment.  It is popular                                                              
with constituents.                                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
9:47:46 AM                                                                                                                    
SENATOR  FRENCH asked  about the  clause on  how regulations  have                                                              
caused the broadcasting industry to avoid important issues.                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  STOLTZE said,  "It is  just reality  prior to  the                                                              
suspension of  the Fairness  Doctrine … you  didn't have  the type                                                              
of   political  and   social  discourse   radio  programming."   A                                                              
programmer is not going to run an uneconomic two-hour program.                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR  FRENCH  surmised  that  the  Fairness  Doctrine  required                                                              
programmers  to   air  a   counterpoint  that  listeners   weren't                                                              
interested in, so they would just avoid it in the first place.                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
9:49:19 AM                                                                                                                    
REPRESENTATIVE STOLTZE  said that is  the essence of  the Fairness                                                              
Doctrine.                                                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR FRENCH  said it strikes him  that the radio waves  are not                                                              
limitless. Once  the spectrum is  awarded, he asked if  that owner                                                              
of a broadcast  license has to provide  both sides or  just use it                                                              
however they want.                                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  STOLTZE said  that had more  relevance when  radio                                                              
had more  impact, like  President Roosevelt's  fireside chats.  He                                                              
only gave 12, but  it seemed like he did it every  week because of                                                              
how they were viewed. It was a more powerful medium then.                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR STEVENS asked if he is opposed to the Fairness Doctrine.                                                                
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  STOLTZE  said  he  is opposed  to  reinstating  it                                                              
because it  is antiquated  and doesn't really  apply to  the radio                                                              
market that has burgeoned in its absence.                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
9:52:13 AM                                                                                                                    
SENATOR FRENCH read  from Wikipedia: "The Fairness  Doctrine was a                                                              
United  States FCC  regulation  requiring  broadcast licensees  to                                                              
present  controversial issues  of  public importance  in a  manner                                                              
deemed  by the  FCC to  be honest,  equitable,  and balanced.  The                                                              
doctrine has since  been withdrawn by the FCC  and certain aspects                                                              
of the doctrine have been questioned by the courts."                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  STOLTZE said  there was  a Supreme  Court case  on                                                              
the enforceability of the doctrine.                                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR  STEVENS  moved  to  report HJR  32  from  committee  with                                                              
individual  recommendations  and  attached fiscal  note(s).  There                                                              
being no objection, HJR 32 moved from committee.                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
At ease at 9:54:05 AM.