Common Cause, working through our state organizations in Delaware, Florida and Rhode Island, will be a partner with the Alliance in the effort in those states. In other states, we will work closely with the coalitions developed by Alliance partners. These forums could include interviews, issue statements or mini-debates. But we believe this is a minimum goal and would urge broadcasters to do more - to provide more time for candidates and issues during the election season. The campaign finance system is now rigged to favor incumbents and nowhere is that advantage so great as in the ability to buy TV time.
Incumbents raise more money and, because of that, can dominate the airwaves.
Challengers are often left without the opportunity to get their message across to the public. Common Cause has for a long time supported proposals to provide candidates with more access to the airwaves. We have worked in Congress in support of proposals to require broadcasters to provide candidates with free time during campaigns. We have supported legislation providing candidates with publicly financed vouchers to purchase airtime. We have petitioned the Federal Communications Commission to require broadcasters, as part of their long-standing statutory obligation to serve the public interest, to provide candidates with free and reduced cost TV time.