Foes of the First Amendment

Rush Limbaugh is "a waste of good broadcast time and a waste of our airwaves."
-- Congresswoman Louise Slaughter (D-NY),
"Bill Moyers," PBS, 12-17-04

"Along with competition and localism, diversity is one of the three core goals that form the foundation of the Commission's media policies. ... [W]e need to create more opportunities for new and independent voices to be heard. The FCC is committed to this mission."
-- FCC Chairman Kevin Martin,
Speech to Rev. Jesse Jackson's Operation PUSH, 1-9-08

"All minority-owned stations and minority-owned talk and news format stations were significantly less likely to air 'The Rush Limbaugh Show,' as were female-owned stations."
-- Off the Dial (2007)

"Spanish-language programming better serves our community.  ... The current stakeholders who are media conglomerates do not represent or produce programming to address the needs of the growing majority of Californians and Latinos across the nation.  We urge the FCC to examine closely the actual demographics of our State and of our nation, and investigate whether or not the current situation provides equal access to linguistic or cultural minorities.  After all, aren't these airwaves meant to serve the public? "
-- Ms. Delia Saldivar,
Radio Bilingue, Inc., testimony to the Federal Communications Commission (2004)

The Commission has previously noted the concerns of some that programming, particularly network programming, often is not culturally diverse enough to respond to the needs and interests of certain segments of a broadcaster's community.
-- David Honig,
Minority Media and Telecommunications Council