Mar 5, 2008 -- PIPAC Commends Scripps for Fulfillment of Public Interest Obligations

The Public Interest Public Airwaves Coalition (PIPAC) commends the E.W. Scripps Company and its affiliate stations for making a commitment to provide political candidates with free access to publicly owned airwaves during the 2008 elections, as they have in every national election since 2000.

Their initiative, Democracy 2008, will run on the company's nine network-affiliated television stations and will provide a minimum of five minutes of free airtime to candidates daily between 5 p.m. and 11:35 p.m. in the 30 days preceding the general election. The free airtime can be used for debates, interviews, or other public affairs formats that provide for a discussion of issues by candidates.

The current regulatory system allows the nation's broadcasters to use, at no cost, the enormous power, potential and capacity of the publicly-owned analog and digital spectrum estimated to be worth hundreds of billions of dollars. In return, the public expects - and the law requires - broadcasters to serve the citizens and communities where they operate through fulfilling public interest obligations. Making free time available to political candidates was one of the primary recommendations made in December 1998 by the President's Advisory Committee on the Public Interest Obligations of Digital Television Broadcasters. Unfortunately, the kind of commitment like Scripps has made is the exception, not the rule. Years of relying on voluntary commitments by broadcasters show that this approach is failing.

It is essential to our democratic process that the public airwaves serve as an open forum by promoting civic and electoral discourse. The Scripps decision will help candidates to receive exposure over the airwaves in the weeks prior to elections, but more importantly will provide citizens with information and involvement they need to be informed and engaged voters. PIPAC believes that the Federal Communications Commission should adopt much stronger regulations regarding broadcasters' public interest obligations and that Congress should also review current telecommunications statutes to help ensure that citizens can get the information they need to be informed and engaged voters.