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Green Party of Delaware
For immediate release: 10/6/02
Contact:
J. Roy Cannon, Media Committee
Green Party of Delaware
(302)738-9963
jcannon11@comcast.net
Green Party of Delaware Joins Free Air Time Coalition
Delaware Green Party joins with Common Cause of Delaware and others nationwide in support of measure for democratic reform;
Attorney General candidate Vivian Houghton voices her support for Free Air Time campaign
Newark, DE: The Green Party of Delaware recently voted to join the national Free Air Time Coalition in
alliance with Common Cause of Delaware. The Free Air Time Coalition is part of the Alliance for Better
Campaigns and is composed of several organizations and individuals nationwide including AARP, National
Urban League, AFL-CIO, American Public Health Association, Communications Workers of America,
National Organization for Women, AFSCME, National Education Association, Sierra Club, NAACP, Youth
Service America, and the National Coalition on Black Civic Participation.
³Democracy is hampered by the enormous cost of communication for political challengers,² said Nick Galasso, Green Party Coordinating Council member and activist for democratic reform. ³Because of the tremendous costs associated with communicating a political message there is little chance of being heard by the public and less chance of being elected. Citizens are deprived of the contest of ideas and range of choices by the current system. And those who do raise the large sums of money needed to access the airways, after the election, are often left more beholden to their contributors than to their constituents.²
Common Cause President Scott Harshbarger wrote, ³The airwaves are a public trust and free television time to help make our democracy work is the least we can ask from broadcasters. But try telling them that. With control of the nation¹s airwaves and soft money contributions of close to $4 million last year--the television industry is a powerful lobbying force. ³
³The Free Air Time Coalition recognizes that the airwaves are collectively owned by the public not by the media corporations², said Vivian Houghton, Green Party of Delaware candidate for Attorney General. ³Since our government grants them free licensees with the understanding that the
public interest¹ will be served, it is fair and just to require them to serve the public interest by granting free air time to ballot qualified candidates, thus helping with the political process in informing the American citizen.²
Free Air Time legislation would require all television and radio stations to air at least two hours a week (one of which would be in or near prime time), of candidate issue discussion in the month before an election. The stations would choose the formats they preferred debates, interviews, town hall meetings, mini-debates, etc.
In addition, Free Air Time legislation would provide qualifying candidates and parties with vouchers to run a limited number of free ads on television and radio. The vouchers would be financed by a spectrum usage fee on the broadcast industry.
Green Party members can take individual steps to support The Free Air Time Campaign by: signing the Free Air Time Declaration, gathering petition signatures in their community, showing ³The Case for Free Air Time² video, and signing up to receive updates and action alerts about the Free Air Time Campaign.
The Green Party of Delaware will participate in the public debate on Free Air Time this Thursday, October 10, 2002, 7:00 PM in the Graham Senior Center, 1709 Gilpin Avenue, Wilmington.
FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT
Green Party of Delaware
P. O. Box 6044
Wilmington, Delaware 19804
(302)738-9963
greenpartyde@yahoo.com
http://www.gpde.org
Committee to Elect Vivian Houghton Attorney General
800 West Street
Wilmington, Delaware 19801
(302)239-2572
agcandidate@vivianhoughton.com
http://vivianhoughton.com/vivian
Common Cause/DE
1304 North Rodney Street, 3rd Floor
Wilmington, DE 19806
(302)521-0394
jdfoooo@aol.com
http://www.commoncause.org/states/delaware
Alliance for Better Campaigns
1150 17th Street, NW, Suite 600
Washington, DE 20036
202-659-1300
alliance@bettercampaigns.org
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