TV’s Debt to Democracy

Before elections, television viewers are deluged for months with political ads, most of them a triumph of style over substance. The spots do nothing to lure more voters; in fact, as broadcasters rake in cash, election turnouts keep declining. Congress had an eye on this dismal trend in 1996 when it handed TV networks a swath of the taxpayer-owned airwaves worth as much as $70 billion, extracting a promise that in return broadcasters would meet public-interest obligations to be determined by a presidential commission chaired by Vice President Al Gore.

The Gore Commission recommended last year that stations provide five free minutes of time daily to political candidates in the 30 days leading up to an election. The National Assn. of Broadcasters abruptly dismissed the idea, saying front-running candidates might turn down a chance to participate in forums or debates. What a lame excuse. The fact that some candidates might decline to discuss actual issues does not mean broadcasters need not try. They could, for instance, counter with proposals for newsmagazine-style issue coverage or candidate interviews.

Broadcasters undoubtedly are reluctant to cover politics for no fees because paid ads are yielding record profits. Candidates are expected to buy $600 million in air time next year; that’s six times as much, after inflation, as was spent in 1972.

A study of local television during the final three months of last year’s gubernatorial campaign in California found that less than one-half of 1% of news time was devoted to the contest and that coverage was dominated by photo ops and horse-race speculations.

On Oct. 29, a broad, bipartisan coalition of prominent Americans--including retired broadcaster Walter Cronkite and former Presidents Jimmy Carter and Gerald Ford--sent a letter urging 1,400 TV station owners to devote five minutes a night in the month prior to elections to candidate forums or mini-debates. Only nine said they would try.

On Wednesday, FCC commissioners plan to meet to evaluate broadcasters’ compliance with public-interest obligations. It’s time for them to acknowledge that gentle persuasion hasn’t worked and to require stations to devote time to candidate forums or other solid, issue-oriented political election coverage in prime viewing hours.

A spokesman for the broadcasters’ loudest champion on Capitol Hill, Rep. Billy Tauzin (R-La.), recently told the FCC that “any decision to mandate free time for politicians should be made by Congress and Congress alone,” but FCC commissioners should ignore his rhetoric. The agency’s job is to protect the public interest.

A few minutes with candidates for local, state and federal offices, talking about issues from potholes to the presidency, is the least broadcasters can offer to prevent democracy from being auctioned off to the highest bidder.

To Take Action: Phone FCC Chairman William Kennard at (202) 418-1000 or go to www.fcc.gov on the Web for the e-mail addresses of commissioners.