1. MOST AMERICANS SUPPORT FREE AIR TIME

Q. As you may know, there have been proposals in recent years to require broadcasters to provide free televison air time before elections for the candidates to discuss the issues. Would you favor or oppose such a proposal?

Poll conducted by Pew Research Center for the People and the Press, May 2002. See www.people-press.org

In 2001, the National Issues Forum held a series of community forums in 44 states to discuss the problem of money in politics. Among participants aged 18 or over, free air time was supported by 72 percent - making it the most popular of all proposals.

Require TV & radio to give free air time to candidates [72%]
Forbid lawmakers from accepting gifts from lobbyists [71%]
Impose strict contribution limits on citizens and special interests [70%]
Make it easier for voters to recall elected officials [56%]
Let candidates raise unlimited amounts, but enforce disclosure [45%]
Lift all restrictions on campaign fundraising [36%]

2. FREE AIR TIME IS THE MOST WIDELY-USED CAMPAIGN FINANCE REGULATION IN THE WORLD

Countries with free air time:			Countries without free air time:
Argentina	Finland	Paraguay
Australia	France	Peru	Ecuador
Bahamas	Germany	Poland	Honduras
Barbados	Ghana	Portugal	Malaysia
Belgium	Greece	Russia	Taiwan
Bolivia	Guatemala	Senegal	Tanzania
Botswana	India	South Africa	Trinidad & Tobago
Brazil	Israel	South Korea	United States
Canada	Italy	Spain
Chile	Lebanon	Sweden
Colombia	Malta	Switzerland
Costa Rica	Mexico	Turkey
Czech Republic	The Netherlands	Ukraine
Denmark	New Zealand	United Kingdom
Dominican Republic	Nicaragua	Uruguay
El Salvador	Norway	Venezuala
Fiji Islands	Panama	Zimbababwe

A 2001 survey of campaign finance laws in 60 countries by the International IDEA Political Finance Project found free air time was more prevalent than disclosure regulation, bans on corporate contributions, spending limits, contribution limits, or public financing. See www.idea.int.

3. THE COST OF AIR TIME IS THE BIGGEST REASON THAT CAMPAIGNS HAVE BECOME SO EXPENSIVE

Television stations took in an estimated $1 billion from political ad sales in 2000, quadruple their take from the 1980 campaign (all figures inflation-adjusted). Meantime, shrinking political coverage on the network news reduced the length of the average candidate soundbite to less than 8 seconds in 2000. See www.bettercampaigns.org and www.cmpa.com.

4. MOST AMERICANS DON’T REALIZE THAT THE PUBLIC OWNS THE AIRWAVES

Q. Now I'd like to ask you a few questions about the nation's airwaves, which broadcasters use to transmit television and radio signals. Do you happen to know if television and radio stations own the airwaves, or are they owned by the public?

Poll conducted by Pew Research for the People and the Press, May 2002. See www.people-press.org.

5. AMERICANS MISTAKENLY BELIEVE THAT BROADCASTERS PAY LICENSE FEES

Q. Television and radio stations are required to obtain licenses from the federal government to broadcast over the airwaves. Do you think television and radio stations pay the government each year for these licenses, or do the stations get them for free?

Poll conducted by Pew Research Center for the People and the Press, May 2002. See www.people-press.org.

A Free Air Time Proposal

SENATORS JOHN MCCAIN AND RUSSELL FEINGOLD WILL INTRODUCE A FREE AIR TIME BILL THAT HAS TWO PARTS:

1. Require all television and radio stations to air at least two hours a week (one of which would be in or near prime time) of candidate issue discussion in the month before an election. The stations would choose the formats they preferred - debates, interviews, town hall meetings, etc.

2. Provide qualifying candidates and parties with vouchers to run a limited number of free ads on television and radio. The vouchers would be financed by a small spectrum usage fee on the broadcast industry.