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ORGANIZATION ISSUES MONEY/POLITICS NEWS INDEX |
Cincinnati TV stations air candidate segments
For release: October 9, 2000 Contact: CINCINNATI -– Three television stations in Cincinnati have pledged to devote five minutes of airtime every night to candidate issue forums during the month prior to the November 7 election, Ohio Citizen Action announced today. WKRC-TV Channel 12 joined with WCPO-TV Channel 9 and WLWT Channel 5 in their pledge to air five minutes of candidates discussing issues for the month preceding the election. Rachel Belz, Program Director at Ohio Citizen Action in Cincinnati said, 'Five minutes a night of candidates discussing issues is a significant improvement from the typical 40 second sound bites aired on national and network news programs.' WKRC plans to conduct nightly interviews with candidates on various issues between the 5 PM and 11 PM newscasts. 'Since most people get their news about candidates and issues from electronic media these days, we take seriously our opportunity to serve our viewers and to serve democracy,' said William Moll, President of WKRC-TV. 'Through our regular 12 News coverage, Town Hall Meetings with candidates, plus daily candidate interviews between now and Election Day, and our half-hour weekly Public Service Program, 12 Newsmakers, we believe our viewers are well served.' Ohio Citizen Action has been asking local television stations to open up the airwaves to nightly candidate forums. This is part of a national effort led by the Alliance for Better Campaigns in Washington D.C. It is co-chaired by former presidents Jimmy Carter and Gerald Ford and former newscaster Walter Cronkite. Nationally, seven percent of television stations have committed to air the five minute nightly candidate-centered segments. In Ohio, WEWS in Cleveland, WKBN in Youngstown, and WCMH in Columbus have also made this commitment to candidate issue discussion prior to the election. A 1998 presidential commission on the public interest obligations of television developed the five minutes-a-night standard. This commission included broadcasters and civic organizations. Ohio Citizen Action campaigns on issues from toxic waste and food safety to utility and insurance rates to political reform. A non-profit, non-partisan organization, Ohio Citizen Action was founded in 1975. # # #
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