Fairness Doctrine Repeal

The fairness doctrine had required United States broadcast license holders to devote airtime to controversial matters of public importance and to present contrasting viewpoints on them fairly. On August 4, 1987, the Federal Communications Commission abolished the doctrine by a unanimous 4 to 0 vote under chairman Dennis R. Patrick. Its repeal remains genuinely disputed among scholars and commentators: some argue the doctrine had allowed a more robust public debate and produced positive political change, while others viewed it as an attack on First Amendment and property rights; the repeal has also been credited with enabling the rise of conservative talk radio, Rush Limbaugh's national syndication followed within a year, and it has been cited as a contributing factor in rising political polarization in the United States.