by John YoungFrom 1949 until 1987, in an attempt to spur debate on issues, the FCC held broadcasters to The Fairness Doctrine. This rule held that if one side of a controversial issue was discussed or presented, the opposing side would have to be allowed equal time. In practice, this did not occur. Either only the left side was presented, or no side was presented. So it actually had the opposite of its intended effect.You may have noticed that talk radio didn’t exist (at least not on a substantial scale) until after the doctrine was retired. And there’s a good reason for that: people listen to radio mostly in their cars going back and forth to work. So this is largely an audience that works hard, speaks English, pays taxes and obeys the law. Thus, the audience tends toward the conservative. Likewise, being employed, it is an audience with money to spend and therefore commercially lucrative.Talk radio listeners also have a large stake in society, and are very interested in politics; along with being more likely than most to be inspired to call elected officials on an issue.Thus, talk radio as a medium tends to skew right. This isn’t a big deal since television, newspapers, magazines and text book companies skew quite far left and even so-called “right wing” talk radio is constrained to be politically correct.But talk-radio audiences are not interested in hearing Al Franken’s latest disguised Marxist drivel or the latest Soros-supported whining for a global gun ban. As a result, left wing talk radio is not commercially viable and instead depends on subsidies from wealthy contributors like George Soros.So talk radio, even the homogenized neo-con-approved derascinated drivel from folks like Hannity and Limbaugh has long been a thorn in the side of the communistic left that now runs the Democratic Party. Most recently, talk radio (along with organizations like EAU, NumbersUSA and others) stirred up millions of calls to Senators effectively scuttling an attempt to advance their insanity.They don’t take kindly to having their plans for an International Socialist Workers Paradise interrupted, and are even now contemplating plans to codify the Fairness Doctrine in law.This will be the end of talk radio for a simple reason. Talk radio stations have to get money from advertisers. If, for every minute of conservative talk they have to provide a minute of liberal talk, they will effectively lose half of their advertising revenue. Rather than do that, they’ll change back to either a hard news or music format. In essence, talk radio will be out of business.We will keep you posted on developments regarding this legislation.