[NFCB] Political Editorializing?

[Ginny Z. Berson]

Peter and all--I want to respond to one part of your query (which is not
the part you're asking about).

When you're volunteers run an editorial or commentary opposing a
candidate for public office, KBCS is running the editorial or
commentary, and you are risking your nonprofit status.  It does not
matter that you offer that candidate an opportunity to respond.  As a
501(c)(3) the station cannot support or oppose a candidate for public
office.  And the volunteer DJ or PA host is the station when s/he is on
the air.  (What people do off the air is of no concern here).

For more details, check out the March 2006 Community Radio News, which
is archived on our website.  

Ginny Z. Berson
Vice President and Director of Federation Services
National Federation of Community Broadcasters (NFCB)
510 451-8200 ext. 305
1970 Broadway, Suite 1000
Oakland, CA 94612
www.nfcb.org


-----Original Message-----
From: nfcb-bounces at mailman.lmi.net [mailto:nfcb-bounces at mailman.lmi.net]
On Behalf Of Peter Graff
Sent: Monday, March 24, 2008 4:07 PM
To: nfcb
Subject: [NFCB] Political Editorializing?

Hi everyone,

 

We're currently reassessing our policy regarding on-air editorializing
for programmers who do music shows.  KBCS is a community station with an
educational licensee, and we currently have over 100 active volunteer
music programmers.  Here's our policy as it stands now:

 
Political Editorials

 

The FCC's political editorializing rule is: if a broadcaster runs an
editorial or commentary opposing a candidate for public office, that
candidate must be given a reasonable opportunity to present a response.
Stations may tell candidates that the candidate must select a
spokesperson to present their response in order to avoid an "equal
opportunities" problem.

 

In addition, because of KBCS's nonprofit status, it is governed by
Internal Revenue Service regulations which forbid the station from
engaging in any form of partisan lobbying.

 

Although the FCC allows KBCS to editorialize on any subject, the station
chooses not to do so. As an individual, however, a volunteer may express
editorial positions, or can allow guests or phone callers to express
opinions. It is the on-air programmer's responsibility to make clear to
the listeners that such opinions are those of the individuals and are
not necessarily an editorial opinion of the station, its volunteers,
paid staff, or management.

 

I'd rather our music hosts not editorialize politically on the mic, and
that they instead make their opinions known through the music they
choose to play.  I've recently had a few music programmers who've
started including political editorials (some would call them rants) into
their shows, ranging from a few seconds to nearly 2 minutes.  I'm happy
to have such programmers submit political editorials through our public
affairs department, and follow the process put forth for any other KBCS
public affairs producer.  But, in my mind, these editorial segments
sound incongruous to the music show that surrounds them (and this has
nothing to do with the opinions themselves-I wholeheartedly agree with
them, but I think our policy should transcend any specific point of
view, and apply coherently to left, right, center, and all points in
between).

 

I'm interested in hearing how other stations-specifically community
stations with a large number of on-air music programmers-navigate this
issue.  Thanks.

 

Peter Graff

Program Director

KBCS 91.3 FM

Streaming and Podcasting at kbcs.fm

Phone: (425) 564-6162  Fax: (425) 564-5697

 

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