[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 153 (2007), Part 16]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 22979]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                          PROMOTING TALK RADIO

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                            HON. JOE WILSON

                           of south carolina

                    in the house of representatives

                         Friday, August 3, 2007

  Mr. WILSON of South Carolina. Madam Speaker, this Sunday will mark 
the 20th anniversary of the day the Federal Communications Commission 
voted unanimously to abolish the ``Fairness Doctrine.''
  Under President Ronald Reagan's leadership, the ``Fairness Doctrine'' 
was removed from our airwaves because it undermined freedom of speech. 
Reagan was a man who realized that Washington should not tell the press 
what to write and say. His vision led to the development of the 
people's forum of talk radio.
  In the wake of this decision, talk radio has grown from fewer than a 
hundred shows to several thousand. Today, radio commentators like Keven 
Cohen in Columbia, South Carolina, and Bill Edwards in Savannah, 
Georgia, play a vital role in bringing intelligent and thoughtful 
perspective to the many issues facing America.
  The ``Fairness Doctrine'' is a relic of a bygone era. Let's keep it a 
part of our past and not of our future.
  In conclusion, God bless our troops and we will never forget 
September 11th.

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