STEVE ALMOND (“Who’s afraid of the big, bad Fairness Doctrine?’’ Op-ed, Nov. 9) writes approvingly of bringing back the Fairness Doctrine on radio, saying conservative talk show hosts would be “forced to engage in a reasonable debate.’’ So how would whatever government agency force a talk show host to bring on an opposing opinion? And if Rush Limbaugh were to criticize the Democrats one day, would this agency force Limbaugh to host a representative of the Democratic National Committee on the next day? And in the issue of fairness, why would the Democrats be the only opposing viewpoint? Why not representatives from the Green Party, the Communist Party, the Libertarian Party, or the Socialist Workers Party?
Almond may think that represents free speech. I certainly don’t.
Brendan DuBois
Exeter, N.H.
IF STEVE Almond wants to reinstate the Fairness Doctrine, why not apply it to all media? Talk radio can hardly offset the liberal bias of what seems like 95.5 percent of all television and print media.
If there was a market for liberal talk radio, there would be offerings. Air America was once the liberal answer, and it had to file for bankruptcy.
We do not need more doctrine and legislation to fix that which is not broken - at least on the airwaves. Free enterprise should be left alone in any form, especially when the First Amendment is concerned.
John and Francie Hauck
Boston 
