Sens. McCain, Feingold, Durbin Introduce Free Air Time Bill
And Launch the Next Phase of Campaign Finance Reform

Sens. John McCain [R-Ariz.], Russell Feingold [D-Wisc.], and Richard Durbin [D-Ill.] yesterday launched the next phase of campaign finance reform by introducing a free air time bill that seeks to reduce the cost and increase the flow of campaign communication on the nation's television and radio stations.

"Today we begin another chapter in the effort to reform our political campaign system. I am proud to be joined by Senator Russ Feingold, my longtime colleague on campaign finance reform, and Senator Richard Durbin, in introducing [this bill]," said Sen. McCain.

"By increasing the flow of political information, free air time can better inform the public about candidates and invite viewers to become more engaged in their government by learning more about the individuals seeking to represent them," McCain continued. "This legislation builds on the long history of requiring broadcasters to serve the public interest in exchange for the privilege of obtaining an exclusive license to use a scarce public resource: the electromagnetic spectrum."

Senator Feingold added: "Our proposal would allow candidates to leverage their grassroots fundraising and would provide greater campaign resources to candidates without requiring them to become more beholden to special interests."

The bill, known as S. 3124, the Political Campaign Broadcast Activity Improvement Act, amends the Communications Act of 1934 in the following ways:

* It requires that television and radio stations, as part of the public interest obligation they incur when they receive a free broadcast license, air at least two hours a week of candidate-centered or issue-centered programming during the period before elections.

* It enables qualifying federal candidates and national parties to receive up to $750 million worth of broadcast vouchers that can be used to place political advertisements on television and radio stations in each two year election cycle. The voucher system will be financed by a spectrum use fee of not more than one percent of the gross annual revenues of broadcast license holders.

* It closes loopholes in the "lowest unit cost" provision in order to ensure that candidates receive the same advertising rates that stations give to their high-volume, year-round advertisers.

The sponsors said they expected no legislative activity this year, but look forward to reintroducing the bill when the 108th Congress convenes next year.

"[This legislation] will significantly improve media coverage of elections and reduce the negative impact that skyrocketing TV advertising costs have on Federal campaigns," Sen. Feingold said. "Although broadcast advertising is one of the most effective forms of communication in our democracy, it also diminishes the quality of our electoral process [when] broadcasters often fail to provide adequate coverage to the issues in elections, focusing instead on the horse race, if they cover elections at all."

"Until we get to the heart of what is driving up the cost of political campaigns, we cannot achieve real campaign finance reform," said Sen. Durbin. "The key to campaign finance reform is the cost of television advertising, and this legislation would reduce the amount of money in politics by making the public airwaves more accessible for political speech. The airwaves belong to America and to the taxpayers, and the network stations simply must give time back to challengers and incumbents across the United States if we're going to succeed in putting a stop to the money chase and the millions of dollars being spent on campaigns."

"This bill will open up our political process to more ideas and more candidates, including those without vast personal wealth or special interest support," said Paul Taylor, President of the Alliance for Better Campaigns, which has assembled a Free Air Time Coalition of more than 50 national groups. "It will enhance the value of small dollar donations, strengthen political parties, shore up the ailing presidential public financing system and provide citizens with more information and more choice."

Taylor said the cost of communicating on television during the current campaign season illustrates the need for the legislation. Candidates, parties and issue groups are on track to spend as much as $1 billion on political ads this year, while most local stations are devoting little or no news and public affairs coverage to the campaigns.

To read a study about the dearth of political coverage on local TV stations, go to http://entertainment.usc.edu.

To see a station-by-station breakdown of political advertising revenue so far this year, go to www.freeairtime.org.