[Congressional Bills 108th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 4710 Introduced in House (IH)]






108th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 4710

To clarify the congressional intent concerning, and to codify, certain 
    requirements of the Communications Act of 1934 that ensure that 
   broadcasters afford reasonable opportunity for the discussion of 
           conflicting views on issues of public importance.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             June 24, 2004

 Ms. Slaughter (for herself, Mr. Hinchey, and Mr. Grijalva) introduced 
 the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Energy and 
                                Commerce

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To clarify the congressional intent concerning, and to codify, certain 
    requirements of the Communications Act of 1934 that ensure that 
   broadcasters afford reasonable opportunity for the discussion of 
           conflicting views on issues of public importance.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Meaningful Expression of Democracy 
in America Act'' or the ``MEDIA Act''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

    The Congress finds the following:
            (1) A broadcast license confers the right to use a valuable 
        public resource, and a broadcaster is therefore required to 
        utilize that resource as a trustee for the American people.
            (2) There is a substantial governmental interest in 
        conditioning the award or renewal of a broadcast license on the 
        requirement that the licensee ensure the widest possible 
        dissemination of information from diverse and antagonistic 
        sources by presenting a reasonable opportunity for the 
        discussion of conflicting views on issues of public importance.
            (3) Since the removal of the Fairness Doctrine standard in 
        1987, we have seen a polarization in America due to the 
        dissemination of false and misleading information and the 
        growing proliferation of highly partisan news outlets.
            (4) Democracy is built on the idea that the views, beliefs, 
        and values of an informed citizenry are the best basis for 
        political decision-making.
            (5) As journalist Bill Moyers said, ``A free and 
        responsible government by popular consent just can't exist 
        without an informed public.  .  . If free and independent 
        journalism committed to telling the truth without fear or favor 
        is suffocated, the oxygen goes out of democracy.''
            (6) To restore the oxygen, there is broad public support 
        for reestablishing requirements for balance in issue 
        presentation over the public airwaves.
            (7) The Fairness Doctrine--
                    (A) fairly reflects the statutory obligation of 
                broadcasters under that Act to operate in the public 
                interest; and
                    (B) strikes a reasonable balance among the First 
                Amendment rights of the public and broadcast licensees.
            (8) Our Founding Fathers created this democracy based on 
        the right to debate ideas openly and make informed choices, and 
        the lack of a balanced debate on issues of public importance 
        threatens these ideals.

SEC. 3. AMENDMENT TO THE COMMUNICATIONS ACT OF 1934.

    Section 315 of the Communications Act of 1934 (47 U.S.C. 315) is 
amended--
            (1) by redesignating subsections (a) through (e) as 
        subsections (b) through (f), respectively; and
            (2) by inserting before subsection (b) (as so redesignated) 
        the following new subsection:
    ``(a) Public Interest Obligation to Cover Publicly Important 
Issues.--A broadcast licensee shall afford reasonable opportunity for 
the discussion of conflicting views on issues of public importance. The 
enforcement and application of the requirement imposed by this 
subsection shall be consistent with the rules and policies of the 
Commission in effect on January 1, 1987.''.

SEC. 4. EFFECTIVE DATE.

    This Act and the amendments made by this Act shall take effect upon 
the date of enactment of this Act.
                                 <all>