After a decade of debate, numerous Federal Communications Commission (FCC) rulings, and many court decisions, the application of the "fairness doctrine"--an act that mandates objectivity in the presentation of facts concerning controversial issues--remains unsettled. This report discusses issues involved in the application of the fairness doctrine to commercial advertising and summarizes relevant case law. It also examines the debate over the Federal Trade Commission's proposal to force broadcasters to provide free air time to groups or individuals to balance certain advertising claims: those made by cigarette companies, oil companies, army recruiters, and so on. Although the FCC's "Fairness Report" resolved contention to the degree that it limited the fairness doctrine to advertising that seeks to "play an obvious and meaningful role in public debate," it is concluded that the determination of what advertising is "controversial" is still largely subjective. (KS)