Deregulation is always about some people being allowed to be enriched at the expense of the rest of us. Always. Every time. Reagan’s buddies in the media pushed for it, for ideological reasons, not because they gave two shits about the first amendment. Let’s not forget Reagan’s role in the black list, an actual violation of the first amendment… unlike the fairness doctrine.
There is a legitimate public interest in regulating the airwaves. The fact that a fascist movement has gained so much traction is evidence of that. Fascism is not in the public interest. There is a direct connection between the end of the fairness doctrine and Trump, in other words.
Oh, and content on cable was never covered by the fairness doctrine, while over the air radio/TV broadcasts were.
