Free Broadcast Time for Political Candidates Urged

Broadcasters should provide some free air time to political candidates on a voluntary basis, a presidential commission concluded in a report sent to the White House on Friday.

Specifically, the commission recommended that broadcasters, along with cable networks and satellite companies, provide five minutes of free air time a day in the 30 days leading up to an election.

Stations would choose the candidates, elections--federal, state and local--and the formats. They also would have the option of making the time available in their newscasts.

That’s one of the recommendations the commission made for how broadcasters can pay back the public for getting digital channels from the government for free.

President Clinton and Vice President Al Gore welcomed the recommendation, even though they both continue to believe that free time should be mandatory, Gore said. He urged broadcasters to follow through on the commission’s proposal.

But he added: “If broadcasters choose to reject the call for free time on a voluntary basis, we believe the Federal Communications Commission will have a duty to take appropriate action.”

Paul Taylor, executive director of the Alliance for Better Campaigns, a supporter of free time, said: “This is a smart, practical, achievable idea with great potential to improve campaigns.”

The 22-member panel also recommended that Congress overhaul campaign finance laws.

Viewers, however, are unlikely to see changes for a long time, if at all, because most of the suggestions would require action by the FCC or Congress.

FCC Chairman Bill Kennard said he will study the recommendations and work closely with Congress and the industry to come up with “new ideas that serve the public and strengthen broadcasting.”

The panel of broadcasters, scholars and advocates for children made the recommendations after a year of work.

Many panel members, in separate statements, said they supported stronger recommendations, including mandatory free air time. Some broadcasters on the panel would have preferred weaker recommendations.