• Get involved.
    We want your input!
    Apply for Membership and join the conversations about everything related to broadcasting.

    After we receive your registration, a moderator will review it. After your registration is approved, you will be permitted to post.
    If you use a disposable or false email address, your registration will be rejected.

    After your membership is approved, please take a minute to tell us a little bit about yourself.
    https://www.radiodiscussions.com/forums/introduce-yourself.1088/

    Thanks in advance and have fun!
    RadioDiscussions Administrators

Elected Official on the air

R

richp

OK I am new to this forum so forgive me if this is the wrong board.

I am a newly elected official in Arkansas as well as a play by play broadcaster for local high school football. I was told today that I may have an issue with some FCC regulation about elected officials and air time. I do not talk about my position, which is a non paid and does not have any influence on policy of any kind. The only way anyone would know I am an elected official is if they recognized my name and put it together.

So I guess my question here is, does the FCC care about this?

THANKS!!
 
It makes news when a "talk radio person" runs for office and the tone of their programs makes it obvious their programming content cannot be totally divorced from their public office and campaigns in particular. That becomes a P.R. nightmare for the station and everyone involved whether you run into FCC problems or not.

Some one with current hands-on experience will have to deal with the legal mechanics of your question. People like Mike Huckabee have had to step away from the mic when they enter campaigns. (Not even elected yet.)

Local sports play by play.... If any broadcaster should get a "Hall Pass" maybe it is your situation.
 
If there is something that regards the school you broadcast for and you're in a position where you'd have to vote for it (for example if you're mayor and the council is approving a new baseball field for the school), there may be a conflict where you'd have to recuse yourself. Otherwise, I don't think there's a problem here.

This is really more of an FEC issue than an FCC issue. There's always the worry of a broadcaster being able to use airtime as political advertising. Of course then every opponent is due equal time if that happens. In small town politics that shouldn't be an issue.
 
Last edited:
A decade ago, a gentleman in suburban Indianapolis ran for city council. He was working at the time as the post-game show host for the Indianapolis Colts Radio network, meaning he was on the radio taking calls from happy/angry fans for about 90 minutes, 16 Sundays a year. Moral of the story, opponent demands equal time and he withdraws his candidacy.

I wasn't privy to the details, but this felt like an abuse of the equal time rule to me.
 
PTBoardOp94 said:
A decade ago, a gentleman in suburban Indianapolis ran for city council. He was working at the time as the post-game show host for the Indianapolis Colts Radio network, meaning he was on the radio taking calls from happy/angry fans for about 90 minutes, 16 Sundays a year. Moral of the story, opponent demands equal time and he withdraws his candidacy.

I wasn't privy to the details, but this felt like an abuse of the equal time rule to me.
Click to expand...

Yep. That is an abuse. But most people don't feel like fighting it so they either quit the job or withdraw from the campaign.
 
Status
This thread has been closed due to inactivity. You can create a new thread to discuss this topic.
Back
Top Bottom