FCC sets August target for striking Fairness Doctrine

The Federal Communications Commission has set a target of August for eliminating the Fairness Doctrine and other outdated regulations from the rule books, according to Republicans on the House Energy and Commerce Committee.

“We are pleased that Chairman Genachowski has finally set a target for striking the Fairness Doctrine from the rulebooks once and for all,” said Energy and Commerce chairman Fred Upton (R-Mich.) and Telecom subpanel chair Greg Walden (R-Ore.).

“The rules are outdated, unnecessary, and needlessly endanger our sacred freedoms of speech and the press.”

The lawmakers wrote to FCC chairman Julius Genachowski last month asking him to remove the Fairness Doctrine, which hasn't been enforced since 1987, from the Commission's rulebooks.

Genachowski agreed to comply with that request in the near future, prompting thanks from the lawmakers and a request for a timeline of when the rules will be revoked.

The chairman also agreed to conduct an agency-wide review of other regulations that are outdated or could place a burden on industry. The Commission has removed 49 outdated regulations and targeted another 25 sets of unnecessary data collections for elimination.

“The committee appreciates Chairman Genachowski’s agreement that burdensome regulations—even those not subject to President Obama’s Executive Order—should be subject to a rigorous cost-benefit analysis before adoption,” said Upton and Walden.

“The committee urges the FCC to coordinate its plans to review and repeal job-crushing regulations with the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs (OIRA).”

Upton and Walden wrote to OIRA administrator Cass Sunstein last week asking for details on how his office was coordinating with independent agencies like the FCC to ensure their reviews were as thorough and effective at eliminating bad rules from the books as the mandatory review ordered by President Obama at most executive branch agencies.