Campaign Information Improvement Act

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Campaign Information Improvement 
Act''.

SEC. 2. NONPREEMPTIBLE ADVERTISING; LOWEST UNIT CHARGES.

    Section 315 of the Communications Act of 1934 (47 U.S.C. 315) is 
amended--
            (1) in subsection (b)(1)--
                    (A) by striking ``forty-five'' and inserting in 
                lieu thereof ``30'';
                    (B) by striking ``sixty'' and inserting in lieu 
                thereof ``45''; and
                    (C) by striking ``lowest unit charge of the station 
                for the same class and amount of time for the same 
                period'' and insert ``lowest charge of the station for 
                the same amount of time for the same time of day and 
                day of week'';
            (2) by redesignating subsections (c) and (d) as subsections 
        (d) and (e), respectively;
            (3) by inserting immediately after subsection (b) the 
        following new subsection:
    ``(c)(1) Except as provided in paragraph (2), a licensee shall not 
preempt the use, during any period specified in subsection (b)(1), of a 
broadcasting station by a legally qualified candidate for public office 
who has purchased and paid for such use pursuant to the provisions of 
subsection (b)(1).
    ``(2) If a program to be broadcast by a broadcasting station is 
preempted because of circumstances beyond the control of the 
broadcasting station, any candidate advertising spot scheduled to be 
broadcast during that program may also be preempted.''; and
            (4) in subsection (d) (as redesignated by paragraph (2) of 
        this section)--
                    (A) by striking ``and'' at the end of paragraph 
                (1);
                    (B) by striking the period at the end of paragraph 
                (2) and inserting ``; and''; and
                    (C) by adding at the end thereof the following new 
                paragraph:
            ``(3) a station's lowest charge for purposes of paragraph 
        (1)--
                    ``(A) with respect to a primary or primary runoff 
                election, is determined for the interval beginning 60 
                days before such election and ending on the date of 
                that election; and
                    ``(B) with respect to a general or special 
                election, is determined for the interval beginning 90 
                days before such election and ending on the date of 
                that election.''.

SEC. 3. FREE BROADCAST TIME FOR POLICY DEBATES.

    (a) Condition of License Renewal.--Section 309(h) of the 
Communications Act of 1934 (47 U.S.C. 309(h)) is amended by inserting 
before the period at the end thereof the following: ``; and (4) every 
broadcast station license issued under this Act shall be subject to the 
free broadcast time obligations imposed by section 315(c)''.
    (b) Free-Time Obligations.--Section 315 of the Communications Act 
of 1934 (47 U.S.C. 315) is amended--
            (1) by redesignating subsections (c) and (d) as subsections 
        (d) and (e), respectively; and
            (2) by inserting after subsection (b) the following new 
        subsection:
    ``(c)(1) Each license for a broadcasting station shall annually 
make available free broadcast time for policy debates in accordance 
with the requirements of this subsection. The Commission shall not 
renew the license of any licensee who substantially fails or refuses to 
comply with the requirements of this subsection, but such licensee 
shall not be subject to any other sanction or remedy for such failure 
or refusal.
    ``(2) A licensee subject to this subsection shall allot free 
broadcast time for policy debates in accordance with the following 
standards:
            ``(A) Such licensee shall allot not less than 30 minutes of 
        free broadcast time during each even-numbered year to--
                    ``(i) the candidates for the House of 
                Representatives of each qualified political party for 
                any congressional district that falls within the grade 
                B contour of such stations signal; and
                    ``(ii) the candidates for the Senate of each 
                qualified political party of the State within which the 
                preponderance of the station's audience resides.
            ``(B) The broadcast time allotted by any licensee shall be 
        allotted so that--
                    ``(i) the broadcast is during the hours of 7 to 10 
                p.m. on weekdays; and
                    ``(ii) the broadcast is during the four weeks 
                immediately preceding election day.
    ``(3) A political party shall be treated as a qualified political 
party for purposes of paragraph (2) if the candidate for President of 
such party in the most recent presidential election received more than 
5 percent of the total number of votes cast by individuals for that 
office.
    ``(4) A licensee allots free broadcast time as required by this 
subsection by broadcasting the joint appearance by each of the 
candidates described in paragraph (2)(A) (i) or (ii) at a forum for the 
discussion of political issues, or, if any such candidate refuses to so 
appear, the appearance by the remainder of such candidates not refusing 
to appear.
    ``(5) Nothing in this subsection, and no use of free broadcast time 
allotted under this subsection, shall be construed to restrict or 
otherwise affect the purchase of advertising time under subsection (b) 
of this section.''.
    (c) Free Cable Time.--Section 611 of the Communications Act of 1934 
(47 U.S.C. 531) is amended--
            (1) by redesignating subsection (f) as subsection (g); and
            (2) by inserting after subsection (e) the following new 
        subsection:
    ``(f) A cable operator shall annually make available free cable 
time for policy debates in accordance with the requirements of 
regulations prescribed by the Commission. Such regulations shall, to 
the extent practicable, require each such cable operator to provide 
such free cable time in the same amounts and manner, to the same 
candidates, and subject to the same conditions as free broadcast time 
is required to be provided by broadcast station licensees under section 
315(c) of this Act. No franchise authority shall renew the franchise of 
any cable operator who substantially fails or refuses to comply with 
such regulations, but such operator shall not be subject to any other 
sanction or remedy for such failure or refusal.''.

Summary: Campaign Information Improvement Act - Amends the Communications Act of 1934 to: (1) limit the cost to qualified candidates of broadcasting time for pre-election political advertising to the lowest charge of the station for the same amount of time for the same time of day and day of the week. (2) prohibit any broadcast licensee from preempting the use of any such time purchased and paid for by a qualified candidate, unless the program during which the advertisement was scheduled to appear is preempted due to circumstances beyond the control of the broadcaster. (3) reduce the pre-election period during which the lowest charge is effective from 45 days to 30 days before primary elections and from 60 days to 45 days before general or special elections. And (4) specify that for purposes of calculating a station's lowest charge, broadcasters must consider the charges made during the 60-day period prior to a primary or primary runoff election and during the 90-day period before a general or special election. Requires radio broadcasting stations, in order to have their licenses renewed, to make available without charge not less than 30 minutes of broadcast time during appropriate viewing hours to candidates for the House and Senate within the four weeks preceding election day for policy debates. Imposes the same free-time obligations on cable television operators of channels for public, educational, or governmental use.