another way to undo Supreme Court corporate coup: require networks and cables to give FREE airtime

[yurbud]

We give them licenses to the public airwaves and allow monopolies and near monopolies for cable companies. Since we give them those exclusive privileges, we must require this from them as the cost of doing business.

Like the public funding of elections, candidates would have to get a certain number of signatures or small donations or something before they would qualify for the free time, and the time would be allocated based on the size of the constituency etc.

The networks could also meet this obligation by holding debates NOT moderated by network nitwits agreed to by the candidates, but the league of women voters, real town halls, etc.

[zorahopkins]

1. Newspapers, Magazines, Billboards, Too?

Why just broadcast media?

Why not require newspapers, magazines, and billboard companies to allow free ads?

And why not require wireless phone companies to provide free text messaging from all candidates?

[yurbud]

3. because those don't have government-given monopolies

You just have one cable coming into your house, and there are only so many broadcast channels available. Hell, even satellite networks needed to be granted part of the broadcast spectrum.

They are using public property, paying very little for the privilege, and acting like it is theirs and theirs only.

[paulsby]

5. it surprises me how many "cures" are arguably worse

than the disease

[havocmom]

2. Since that is their product, one might consider that would be a robbery

Not that we aren't being robbed left, right, and sideways.

[yurbud]

4. would it be robbery if we demanded a greater share of profits from logging or oil drilling on public

land?

They are using public airwaves and government sanctioned monopolies to deliver their products. we could also figure out how much we could do without breaking them, or better yet, give them a partial tax write off for the value of the time (a deduction not a credit).

[robinlynne]

6. That is public financing of elections, the opposite of what the Supreme Court just did.

Several countries have free air time, equally divided among candidates. In Brazil, only near elections, there is one hour an evening, from 8-9PM, on every radio and tv channel given to elections. The slots are rotated evenly. The government pays for that tine, at a lower arte than usual, and everyone really watches it!

[fascisthunter]

7. I Actually Believe the Private Media companies should be paid

However the campaigns be publicly financed. Every candidate gets the same media time, and the same budget. All is up to the candidates. Level the playing field.

[yurbud]

8. we have given the broadcast media a public asset. This should be part of the price they pay

otherwise, taxpayers will be subsidizing the networks who will use some of their profits to buy elections. So a candidate paying to place an ad to fight corporate financial clout in elections would actually be helping those corporations by placing those ads.