[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 146 (2000), Part 14]
[Senate]
[Page 20428]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]



             NETWORKS FAILURE TO CARRY PRESIDENTIAL DEBATES

  Mr. HOLLINGS. Mr. President, I rise today to express my displeasure 
and disappointment that two of the four major broadcast networks--NBC 
and Fox, have decided not to broadcast nationally, the presidential 
debate scheduled tonight between the Democratic and Republican 
candidates for President.
  This election is likely to be among the closest national races in the 
last twenty years. In exchange for the use of spectrum without the 
imposition of a fee, broadcasters have to fulfill their public interest 
obligation. I do not believe it is too much to presume that showing 
vital news information such as a presidential debate is encompassed in 
a broadcaster's public interest obligation.
  Instead of showing the debate, NBC is showing a divisional wildcard 
playoff baseball game, although they are apparently permitting their 
affiliates to broadcast the debate, if they so choose. Even more 
appalling, Fox is showing its new science fiction series produced by 
its own studio--Dark Angel--which I understand is particularly violent.
  On Sunday, the Washington Post ran a story entitled--``Even Hits can 
Miss in TV's New Economy.'' That article outlined the enormous 
incentives the Networks have to air programs in which they possess a 
vested financial interest. I quote--

       Just as a supermarket might reserve its best shelf space 
     for its house brands, the networks have begun to favor their 
     in house programs over shows created by others, which are 
     often less profitable in the long term.

  There it is Mr. President. Money trumps the political process once 
again. Fox has likely spent millions of dollars to develop and promote 
its new series, and NBC likely spent a significant amount of money to 
acquire the rights to broadcast a baseball playoff game. But Mr. 
President, when networks choose their own programming or sports 
programming over an event as significant as tonight's debate, they fail 
to meet their public interest obligation. Having to reschedule a 
baseball game or the debut of a new series created by their studios 
does not justify NBC or Fox precluding the public from having access to 
the presidential debates. I understand that one network, ABC, decided 
to postpone the debut of one of its new shows ``Gideon's Crossing'' by 
one night so as to air tonight's debate. That is called honoring your 
public interest obligation. By choosing not to air the debates, these 
other networks have undermined the integrity of the political process 
and our democracy, and engaged in a disrespect of the American 
electorate.
  The political process should be covered. The American people deserve 
such coverage. The grant of free spectrum worth billions of dollars to 
broadcasters comes with a public interest obligation that requires them 
to inform the public of issues of vital importance--not simply to do 
what is financially expedient.

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