[grc] rules on candidate coverage in election season

Tue Oct 14 17:19:13 PDT 2014

Your guests can say whatever they want, as long as they are not the candidate.

Brian-- Guess I pulled up a policy not in use now at KPFA.  my apologies.
For the record, I think offering equal time proactively is the right way to handle election coverage.

adrienne

On 10/14/14 1:20 PM, Tom Klammer wrote:
> Indeed re: equal time-
> But I'm not having a candidate on.
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> ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
> *From:* Brian Edwards-Tiekert <brian at kpfa.org>
> *To:* Adrienne Lauby <adrienne at sonic.net>
> *Cc:* Tom Klammer <tellsomebodyradio at yahoo.com>; GRC List <grc at maillist.peak.org>
> *Sent:* Tuesday, October 14, 2014 3:15 PM
> *Subject:* Re: [grc] rules on candidate coverage in election season
>
> Equal Time for candidates who request it *is* an FCC requirement, not a matter of internal policy:
> Citation: http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/47/315
>
> What Adrienne passed on from Carrie Core appears to be the internal policy at WMNF. KPFA's internal
> policy on elections coverage has been to proactively *offer* equal time to opposing candidates, so
> there's less room to get tripped up by the FCC reporting requirements (and more fairness to
> candidates for office in our signal area).
>
> Details: http://www.kpfa.org/system/files/kpfa%20guidelines%20for%20elections.doc
>
> -Brian
>
> On Tue, Oct 14, 2014 at 11:29 AM, Adrienne Lauby <adrienne at sonic.net <mailto:adrienne at sonic.net>> wrote:
>
>     Sadly, I believe the FCC no longer cares how you cover elections.
>
>     But there are 501c3 rules:
>     At any time, and particularly during an election year, stations and programmers need to steer
>     clear of endorsing candidates.  This applies to public affairs hosts and music programmers.  The
>     station is not allowed to endorse or oppose a candidate for public office. When a volunteer
>     programmer is on the air, that person is the station.  A disclaimer is of no use.  We could lose
>     our 501(c)(3) status.  Volunteers can speak their minds off the air, but on the air they have to
>     follow the rules as if they were the station.
>
>     You do not instruct people how to vote.
>
>     You do not announce whom you are voting for.
>
>     Ballot measures are not the same as candidates.  You can be opinionated about them.
>
>     ----------------
>     KPFA has a policy of requiring equal time for candidates if they ask for it.  I think that's
>     something we should all do.
>
>     But, programmers aren't required to give equal time to people with opinions about candidates.
>     They may interview a journalist or another "expert", or even a candidate staff person without
>     triggering the equal time rule.  (I don't recommend the last option)
>
>     The policy is attached.   The explanation is worth reading.  Thanks to Carrie Core and Randy Wind.
>
>     Adrienne
>
>     On 10/14/14 6:09 AM, Tom Klammer wrote:
>
>         Pat Roberts is facing serious challenge for re-election to US Senate from Kansas from an
>         independent.
>         Former Ambassador Joseph Wilson wrote this piece about him called "Pat Roberts - Congenital
>         Liar."  "...As Roberts desperately struggles to cling to office, he is trying to hoodwink
>         the voters one more time. He never expected that the fact he doesn't have a Kansas home
>         would be exposed. But he's been misleading about more than his address for years -- and
>         getting away with it. In Kansas, he's practiced deception about living there, but in
>         Washington he's lied systematically. Through his deceit, he bears responsibility for the
>         tragedy of Iraq and the crimes committed by the intelligence agencies for which he had
>         oversight responsibility?"
>         Former CIA analyst Ray McGovern has written and spoken in a similar vein.
>         What would a community radio broadcast need to be concerned about or steer clear of in terms
>         of FCC rules in this election season in a show about these issues?
>         Tom Klammerwww.tellsomebody.us <http://klammerwww.tellsomebody.us/>  This communication may
>         be unlawfully collected and stored by the National Security Agency (NSA) in secret. The
>         parties to this email do not consent to the retrieving or storing of this communication and
>         any related metadata, as well as printing, copying, re-transmitting, disseminating, or
>         otherwise using it. If you believe you have received this communication in error, please
>         delete it immediately.
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> --
> Brian Edwards-Tiekert
> KPFA 94.1 FM
> 1929 Martin Luther King Jr. Way
> Berkeley, CA 94703
> 510.848.6767 x699
> www.kpfa.org <http://www.kpfa.org/>
>
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