Greg Walden: “it seems rather cruel that a radio broadcaster would not have his microphone turned on. And so I stand here today in…”

“it seems rather cruel that a radio broadcaster would not have his microphone turned on. And so I stand here today in support of this amendment because it really is about the first amendment. And it is about the freedom of speech on the air waves. And if you don't think so, go back to what the U.S. Supreme Court said in Red Lion Broadcasting vs. FCC 38 years ago when they cautioned that while the doctrine may be constitutional, if it's ever used to restrain speech its constitutionality should be reconsidered. 1974, in Miami Herald Publishing Company vs. Torino, the Court concluded that the doctrine inescapably dampens the vigor and limits the variety of public debate. Twenty-three years ago, in FCC vs. League of Women Voters, the court concluded the scarcity rationale underlying the doctrine was flawed, and the doctrine was limiting the breadth of public debate. The U.S. Supreme Court made that series of rulings and, as a result, the FCC overturned it. And as a result of overturning that, all of a sudden, the air waves blossomed with both conservative speech and liberal speech. It's not my fault that Air America didn't find a huge audience out there and went bankrupt. There are others out there who have done very successfully. It has encouraged speech. If the fairness doctrine is put back in place, as it was pre-1987, you will silence, not expand, public debate.”