Final answer:
The fairness doctrine mandate for balanced coverage of controversial issues was in place until 1985 and repealed in 1987; the FCC suspended the equal time rule in 2014.
Step-by-step explanation:
The part of the fairness doctrine that was maintained until 1985 required holders of broadcast licenses to cover controversial issues of public importance in a balanced manner and to present contrasting viewpoints. However, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has not enforced the fairness doctrine since then, and it was repealed in 1987 following a series of court cases.
The similar equal time rule, which mandates that broadcasters provide equal opportunity to opposing political candidates in regards to airtime, was suspended in May 2014, with the FCC's enforcement of related rules also being seen as lax.
The fairness doctrine was a Federal Communications Commission (FCC) policy that required holders of broadcast licenses to cover controversial issues in a balanced manner. This meant that if one candidate, cause, or supporter was given an opportunity to reach viewers or listeners, the other side was also supposed to be given a chance to present its side. However, the fairness doctrine ended in the 1980s after the FCC repealed it in 1987.