FCC formally removes the Fairness Doctrine from federal regulations

The FCC under Chair Julius Genachowski formally deletes the Fairness Doctrine and 82 other outdated rules from the Code of Federal Regulations. Though the FCC repealed the doctrine in 1987, language referencing it remained in federal regulations for 24 years. The formal deletion closes the last official pathway for reinstatement without new rulemaking. The Obama administration characterizes the housekeeping action as removing obsolete rules, but it also removes any ambiguity about the doctrine''s legal status. The underlying FCC licensing authority over broadcasters — the infrastructure that originally enabled the Fairness Doctrine — remains completely intact.