The Senate has rejected another attempt to ban the Federal Communications Commission from reinstating the Fairness Doctrine, which required broadcasters to offer competing viewpoints in a balanced manner when presenting controversial issues.

More senators wanted to consider fairness than didn't, according to last night's 49 to 48 vote, but an attempt by Sen. Norm Coleman, R-Minn., to get the ban added to a higher education measure failed to get the 60 votes needed for consideration.

Sen. Edward Kennedy, D-Mass., objected to the addition, saying Sen. Coleman's amendment wasn't sufficiently related to the higher education bill.

Sen. Coleman reiterated his view that the proposal "will protect America's constitutionally granted right to free speech. At the end of the day, there is nothing fair about the Fairness Doctrine. This issue is not which broadcaster is fair and which is not. The issue is who decides. I believe fairness is what the American public decides is fair, not some Washington politician or bureaucrat."

The rejection is the second in a week in the Senate for Sen. Coleman, after an attempt to offer the amendment a week ago to a defense authorization bill was rejected.

The House has attached a ban to an appropriations bill, but even if that bill passes the Senate, the ban would be in effect only for a year. Sen. Coleman has been trying to make a ban permanent.

While the doctrine would affect TV, the debate has all been about radio.

Republicans and some conservative talk show hosts are worried that Democrats are going to try to reimpose the doctrine, forcing conservative talkers to share time with progressives on their shows or radio stations to start alternating shows, potentially killing the format's viability. .

Democrats have expressed some concerns that talk radio is too one-sided, but so far have made no attempt to reinstate the Fairness Doctrine.

(Editor: Horowitz)