(CNSNews.com) - Sen. Byron Dorgan (D.-N.D.) told CNSNews.com on Tuesday that Rush Limbaugh is successful because he has a good show that people want to listen to.

Dorgan and other Democratic senators who voted for Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin’s (D.-Ill.) amendment to direct the FCC “to promote diversity in communication media ownership” told CNSNews.com that it is not their intention to shut down conservative talk radio or re-impose the Fairness Doctrine by other means.
 
The Fairness Doctrine was a longstanding regulation of the Federal Communications Commission that said a radio station that discussed controversial issues had to provide an opportunity for opposing views to be aired.

The regulation effectively inhibited the development of spirited discussion on broadcast radio.  It was not until after the FCC suspended the Fairness Doctrine during the Reagan Administration that talk-radio programs that focused on politics and public policy--such as Rush Limbaugh’s show--began to proliferate and prosper.   
 
“Look, I am not in favor of shutting down any talk show hosts anywhere,” Dorgan told CNSNews.com. “I think whatever their political interests are they ought to be on the air. I don’t know of anybody who is suggesting that anybody be shut down on the radio.”
 
“I think Rush Limbaugh is successful because he has a good show people want to listen to,” said Dorgan. “There are people on the left and the right who have good shows, and I want all of them to have opportunities. I am not interested in shutting anybody down.”
 
Durbin himself told CNSNews.com: “The issue for me is not about the Fairness Doctrine. But I do think there should be public interest standards with respect to broadcast licenses.”  (Back in June 2007, Durbin had told The Hill newspaper: “It’s time to reinstitute the Fairness Doctrine. I have this old-fashioned attitude that when Americans hear both sides of the story, they’re in a better position to make a decision.”)
 
When asked whether the Durbin amendment is an attempt to regulate conservative talk-radio programs, Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) told CNSNews.com: “I think the Durbin amendment does not do that. What we have to do is not regulate conservatives—they have the right to say anything they want--but I think people throughout America also have the right to hear people who have different points of view.  I think that’s a very important issue. But when nine out of ten radio hours are conservative, that’s a problem.”
 
Sen. Jeff Bingaman (D-N.M.) said he did not think the Durbin amendment was a means to effectively reimpose the Fairness Doctrine, because the amendment “didn’t deal directly with the Fairness Doctrine.”

Back in October 2008, Sen. Bingaman was interviewed by talk-radio host Jim Villanucci on KOB in Albuquerque. At that time, Bingaman was enthusiastic about re-implementing the Fairness Doctrine and regulating conservative talk radio.  A partial transcript of the interview follows below.
 
JIM VILLANUCCI: Talk radio listeners are concerned about the Fairness Doctrine. Do you think there will be a push to reinstate the Fairness Doctrine?
 
Sen. JEFF BINGAMAN (D-N.M.): I don’t know, I certainly hope so. My own view is—
 
VILLANUCCI: You support it?
 
BINGAMAN: I do.
 
VILLANUCCI: You would want this radio station to have to change?
 
BINGAMAN: I would. I would want this station and all stations to have to present a balanced perspective and different points of view instead of hammering on one side of the political—
 
VILLANUCCI: In this market for instance you have KKOB. If you want liberal talk you have Air America in this market in this market. You’ve got NPR. If you have satellite radio there’s a lefty talk station and a righty talk station. Do you think there are people who aren’t able to find a viewpoint that is in sync with what they believe.
 
BINGAMAN: Well, I guess my thought is that radio and media generally should have a higher calling than just to reflect a particular point of view. I think they should use their authority and their broadcast power to present an informed discussion of public issues. KKOB used to live under the Fairness Doctrine—
 
VILLANUCCI: Yeah, we played music.
 
BINGAMAN: There was a lot of talk also, at least it seemed to me. And there were a lot of talk stations that seemed to do fine. The airwaves are owned by private companies at this point, there is a license to given to private companies to operate broadcast stations and that’s the way it should be. All I’m saying is for many, many years were operated under a Fairness Doctrine in this country. I think the country was well-served. I think the public discussion was at a higher level and more intelligent in those days that it has become since.