May It Rest in Peace: Public Interest and Public Access in the Post-Fairness Doctrine Era

Until it was abolished by the Federal Communications Commission in 1987, the Fairness Doctrine was the clearest symbol of broadcasting's "second-rate" first amendment status. This Article traces the history and demise of the Fairness Doctrine and urges Congress to abandon current efforts to enact the Doctrine into law. The author proposes, instead, a system of access that provides broadcast journalists with the full first amendment protection they have long sought, and at the same time protects and enhances the public's interest in broadcasting.