Debates / Equal Time

[Robert S Chase]

There are those who would say the major parties created the FCC's equal time 
rule (which I think is still in effect as opposed to the Fairness Doctrine) 
to prevent broadcast stations from giving time to minor candidates knowing 
full well the incumbency would always get news coverage far in excess of the 
fringe candidates. See 
http://www.museum.tv/archives/etv/E/htmlE/equaltimeru/equaltimeru.htm I 
agree with Tony (below) however I think the deck is stacked against such an 
idea. It is not so stacked in other countries.

>
> Message: 14
> Date: Sun, 5 Nov 2006 15:14:40 -0500
> From: "radiotony" <radiotony@comcast.net>
> Subject: RE: depetro comments
> To: <bri@bostonradio.org>
> Message-ID: <200611052045.kA5KjmhJ078628@khavrinen.csail.mit.edu>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
>
>
> But even if there were a dozen candidates, why limit any of them? If
> programmers are concerned about too many candidates in one debate, have 
> two
> debates on recurring evenings or two, one hour debates, with X amount of
> candidates each hour.
> There are very easy solutions to these kinds of issues if people think
> creatively.
> And why the debates always limited to just an hour? And why are there only 
> 1
> minute responses? That is what I find difficult to understand.
> While I understand we live in a sound-bite society, voting is a civic duty
> and airing debates with all the candidates who are on the ballot, a public
> service.
> You can't really begin to learn much about any of the candidates until
> you've had the chance to really hear what they say and mean.
>
> Best,
> Tony
>
> Anthony Schinella
> Station Manager/Program Director
> WKXL 1450, Concord, N.H.
> Award-winning news, sports, arts & community conversation
> Blog: http://politizine.blogspot.com