The Public Supports Free Air Time, New Poll Shows

June 11, 2002

THE PUBLIC SUPPORTS FREE AIR TIME, NEW POLL SHOWS

Americans overwhelmingly support proposals to require that broadcasters provide free television time for candidates to discuss issues just before elections, according to a nationwide survey released today by the Pew Research Center for the People and the Press in Washington, DC.

The Pew survey, taken among 736 adults from May 8 through May 16, found that 73 percent of the public supports free air time, with 20 percent opposed and seven percent having no opinion.

The poll also found that just 31 percent of Americans realize that the public owns the airwaves, and that 70 percent mistakenly assume that broadcasters pay license fees to use assigned frequencies on the airwaves, while just 11 percent know they get them for free. To read the survey, go to www.people-press.org.

The public confusion is not surprising, given that the federal government typically auctions off or charges leasing fees to commercial users of public properties. Broadcasters pay nothing for their exclusive use of airwaves valued at hundreds of billions of dollars. In theory, their only "payment" comes in the form of meeting public interest standards. In practice, however, there is virtually no payment at all.

"Free air time would reduce the influence of special interest campaign contributors and give voters a chance to hear from all candidates, not just those wealthy enough to buy time on television," said former U.S. Senator Paul Simon, who chairs the non-partisan Illinois Campaign for Political Reform (ICPR) and is national co-chair of the Free Air Time Coalition of dozens of civic, public interest and campaign reform groups.

"Although the airwaves belong to the public, television and radio stations use those airwaves without any charge," Simon said. "Broadcasters should be required to provide a reasonable amount of free air time for candidate debates and issue discussions before each election."

The ICPR and the Free Air Time Coalition will hold a forum on free air time at 5:30 p.m. Tuesday, July 9, at the Union League Club in Chicago. Anyone wishing to attend the forum should call 312-335-1767 to reserve a seat.

ICPR also is recruiting free air time activists and collecting signatures on a Free Air Time Declaration. For more on ICPR's involvement in the Free Air Time Campaign, go to (www.ilcampaign.org).

The poll results come a week before Sens. John McCain [R-Ariz.] and Russ Feingold [D-Wisc.] plan to introduce a free air time bill that would reduce the cost and increase the flow of political information on the dominant medium for political communication.

The draft of the bill being prepared by Sens. McCain and Feingold would require all television and radio stations to air at least two hours a week of candidate-centered programming, such as debates, interviews and town hall meetings, prior to elections. It would also create a voucher system to enable qualifying candidates and parties to place a reasonable number of free ads on radio and television. The vouchers would be financed by a spectrum usage fee on broadcasters.

McCain and Feingold will unveil the bill at a press conference on Wednesday, June 19th in Washington, DC. After the press conference, there will be a symposium on free air time and a spectrum usage fee, jointly sponsored by the Alliance for Better Campaigns and the New America Foundation.