Wisconsin Democracy Campaign
 
Our Democracy, Our Airwaves

Media democracy is a central feature of WDC's reform agenda. Promoting media democracy means fighting media consolidation, opening up the political process to more competition by both reducing the cost and increasing the flow of political communication, and putting meaning back into broadcasters' legal obligation to serve the public interest and requiring them to use the publicly-owned airwaves to revitalize our democracy. Federal legislation – the Our Democracy, Our Airwaves Act – would redefine public interest obligations and require broadcasters to provide free air time for political debate and issue discussion. Read more about the Our Democracy, Our Airwaves Act.

WDC Releases

Digital TV rules lack public benefit
August 15, 2007

Midwest reform groups challenge FCC, Congress
June 12, 2007

Local TV feeds viewers 2.5 times more ads than news
November 21, 2006

Election coverage accounts for 36 seconds of typical 30-minute local TV newscast
October 12, 2006

Landmark survey of public attitudes shows distrust of government, faith in reform
September 14, 2006

Testimony at town meeting on the future of media
September 11, 2006

Groups urge TV stations to stand tall on election and public affairs coverage
June 29, 2006

Mail-order TV licensing
November 14, 2005

Media reform coalition challenges Milwaukee TV stations’ licenses
November 1, 2005

Village of Shorewood makes November media reform month
September 21, 2004

Bringing media reform back home
May 18, 2004

Battle of the network pimps
August 5, 2003

TV industry profiteering on democracy
July 23, 2003

Madison TV aired hours of political ads, little news
January 28, 2003

36,000 campaign ads aired at cost of $12.8 million
November 12, 2002

24,000 doses of poison
October 22, 2002

TV political ad frenzy kicks into high gear
October 3, 2002

WDC to broadcasters: Let ‘em all debate
September 19, 2002

TV political ad spending on record pace
September 16, 2002

McCain, Feingold unveil free air time proposal
June 19, 2002

Public supports free air time, new poll shows
June 11, 2002

Free Air Time Facts
June 11, 2002

State free air time coalition grows, sixteen groups join
May 2, 2002

WDC joins national campaign for free candidate air time
April 1, 2002

Congress hobbles Shays-Meehan at broadcasters' bidding
February 22, 2002

TV gouges democracy in Wisconsin
February 7, 2002

Little air time for candidates at WTMJ-Milwaukee
February 5, 2001

Local TV responds to Alliance challenge
December 11, 2000

TV can only spare a half-a-minute for candidate coverage
June 13, 2000

Local TV shunned April elections, Alliance For Better Campaigns project study shows
April 19, 2000

Media Coverage

TeleTruth Wisconsin press conference
WisconsinEye public affairs network
July 11, 2007

On TV, hired guns have taken over politics
Capital Times
November 7, 2005

Group: Media coverage of local elections stinks
Lee Newspapers
November 2, 2005

Breaking up big media
Capital Times
July 23, 2005

Without independent media, democracy is doomed to fail
Capital Times
May 25, 2004

TV station chiefs: Profit motive beats civics every time
Capital Times
October 17, 2002

TV study says 3 markets saw $6.2 million in ads
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
October 4, 2002

Political TV ads losing impact?
Wisconsin State Journal
September 20, 2002

$4 million spent so far on TV ads in state
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
September 17, 2002

Feingold, McCain want free air time given to candidates
Capital Times
June 15, 2002

 
Updated: October 3, 2007

To Our Democracy, Our Airwaves website

Media reform to-do list

Citizen’s Guide to the Public Interest Obligations of
Digital Television Broadcasters