There was a time in America when radio and TV stations and networks actually broadcast the actual news – instead of infotainment – because the law required them to do so. From the 1920s, when radio really started to go big in the US, until Reagan rolled it back in 1987, federal communications law required a certain amount of “public service” programming in order for radio and television stations to retain their licenses. The biggest way they proved they were providing a public service and meeting the requirements of the Fairness Doctrine was by broadcasting the news.

After Reagan blew up the Fairness Doctrine in 1987, two very interesting things happened: the rise of right-wing hate-speech talk radio, starting with Rush Limbaugh that very year, and the money-losing news divisions of the Big Three TV networks were taken under the wings of their entertainment divisions, and wrung dry. Foreign bureaus were closed. Reporters were fired. Stories that promoted the wonders of advertisers or other companies (like movie production houses) owned by the same mega-corporations that owned the networks, began to appear. And investigative journalism that cast a bright light on corporate malfeasance vanished. Today, the news media is an abject failure when it comes to reporting the real news, news that citizens in a democracy need to know.

Learn more about how much has changed and how to change it back in chapter four, "An Informed and Educated Electorate" of "Rebooting the American Dream".

-Thom

Thom and Louise Hartmann founded the New England Salem Children's Village in New Hampshire in 1979. With states delaying payment for the children they entrust to the village, they need help with cash flow urgently. Please help if you can.

The Daily Stack

Quote: "Clean water and health care and school and food and tin roofs and cement floor, all of these things should constitute a set of basics that people must have as birthrights." -- Paul Farmer.

As Thom's new D.C. studio wasn't quite ready, Nicole Sandler guest hosted.

Hour One: One Nation Rally in DC this past Saturday 10/2/10 Thom Hartmann, host of the Thom Hartmann Program on radio stations coast to coast and on Free Speech TV on Dish Network & Direct TV and major cable providers around the country, calls Nicole.

Article: "Tennessee County’s Subscription-Based Firefighters Watch As Family Home Burns Down " by Zaid Jilani.

Article: "Hate-Filled One Nation Rally Signs" by Noel Sheppard.

Site: "Top Conservatives on Twitter" (#tcot) (list).

What Should Progressives Do Now? Nicole is joined by David Swanson, journalist/activist/author of several books, his most recent "Daybreak: Undoing the Imperial Presidency and Forming a More Perfect Union".

Book: "Daybreak: Undoing the Imperial Presidency and Forming a More Perfect Union" by David Swanson.

Speech: Harry Belafonte at 'One Nation Working Together' Rally (transcript).

Twitter: "#onenation".

Hour Two: "Fools on the hill" - latest news from the weekend and elections with Nicole Belle (Roya), Reporter/Blogger on Crooks and Liars.

Video: "KY-Sen: Rand Paul Vs. Jack Conway Debate".

Clip: "The Chris Matthews Show", October 3, 2010 Sunday. Dan Rather.

Video: "Bernie Sanders: Republicans 'do not want America to succeed'".

Article: "Heated Debate Over Place of Islam in the United States" by Joshua Miller and Jack Date.

The One Nation Working Together March October 2 1010 - the Rev. Jesse L. Jackson, Sr., Founder and President of the Rainbow PUSH Coalition, pays Nicole a surprise call.

Talk Radio News Segment: Victoria Jones, White House Correspondent.

Article: "US issues travel alert for Americans in Europe".

Article: "Justice Kagan At Home On High Court" by Jay Goodman Tamboli.

Article: "High court won't hear appeal from 9/11 families" by AP.

Article: "US top court refuses to hear Guantanamo wiretap case" by AFP.

Hour Three: Is the whole foreclosure system teetering on the brink? Mother Jones Magazine Reporter Andy Kroll talks to Nicole.

Article: "JPMorgan Freezes Foreclosures" by Andy Kroll.

Article: "Farewell, Bailout Nation?" by Andy Kroll.

Why aren't people talking about Marco Rubio? GottaLaff of The Political Carnival joins Nicole (Twitter).

Article: "Maher’s 3rd Clip Features O’Donnell’s Spiritual Dabblings Beyond Witchcraft " by Faiz Shakir.

Article: "“Just what is going on here between” Marco Rubio & healthcare lobbyist Amber Stoner?" by GottaLaff.

Article: "U.S. attorney, IRS and FBI investigating Florida GOP credit card use" by Jay Weaver, Beth Reinhard and Lucy Morgan.

Article: "One Nation crowd size mystery is over?" by GottaLaff.

Coming up Tuesday on The Thom Hartmann Program

Hour One: Keeping our kids safe on campus...give 'em all guns?! Thom confronts Fox News Contributor Dr. John Lott, author of "More Guns, Less Crime".

Why they are supporting Gov. Rick Perry's move to allow concealed carry on Texas campuses? Thom confronts Tyler Norris, Chairman, University of Texas chapter of Young Conservatives of Texas.

Hour Three: Why do conservatives think that protecting equal pay for equal work (regardless of gender) is offensive to women? Thom challenges Carrie Lukas of the Independent Women's Forum.

And, the best of the rest of the news and your calls right here on...

The Thom Hartmann Program... your media support group for we the people.

Get Rebooting the American Dream (also on Kindle)

Oct 28 - Chicago
The Great Debate II, 7:30 pm CST at The Meadows Club.

"Live to Tell" - Lisa Gardner's new fiction novel that mysteriously relates to Thom

Dr. George Watson says he will accept chickens as payment for healthcare.

Read an excerpt here, and buy the book!

Paperback out now!

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