In the aftermath of the fatally-flawed immigration bill, some members of Congress want to kill talk radio by resurrecting the “Fairness Doctrine.” The Fairness Doctrine was in place between the 1940s and 1980s, when it was repealed by Ronald Reagan.

The Fairness Doctrine existed when there were far fewer media outlets than there are now. The belief was that fairness demanded a method for exposing the public to more than one view when the subject was political or controversial.

Reagan’s repeal of the Fairness Doctrine allowed an explosion of media outlets, the revival of AM radio and more access to ideas and information.

The left is upset that it no longer controls the flow of information. Liberals tried to compete on talk radio, but they mostly failed because too few people want to listen. And this proposed revival of the Fairness Doctrine would apply only to talk radio, not the evening TV newscasts which are liberal.  This is the next battle. If you want to preserve talk radio, contact your member of Congress. It worked for immigration. It will work for the fairness doctrine.

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Cal Thomas is a nationally syndicated columnist based in Washington, D.C.