TV stations to post political ad info online under new FCC rule

April 27, 2012

TV stations to post political ad info online under new FCC rule

Television stations in California's major media markets, including Sacramento, will have to post information about political ads airing on their channels online before the November election because of a new policy adopted by the Federal Communications Commission today.

Information about political ad rates is already available for public viewing at the stations themselves. The Associated Press is reporting that the FCC will now require stations to also post that information on the Web, with stations in the top 50 media markets making the change within the next six months. All other stations will have until 2014 to begin posting the information online.

Four of the country's top 50 media markets are in California, according to Station Index. They are Los Angeles, San Francisco/Oakland/San Jose, Sacramento/Stockton/Modesto and San Diego.

The Associated Press has more on the vote at this link.

Capitol Alert: TV stations to post political ad info online under new FCC rule

FCC requires TV stations to post rate info online

The Associated Press
Published: Friday, Apr. 27, 2012 - 9:14 am
Last Modified: Friday, Apr. 27, 2012 - 10:34 am

WASHINGTON -- The Federal Communications Commission voted Friday to require broadcast TV stations to post online the advertising rates they charge political candidates and advocacy groups.

The vote came despite strong opposition from many broadcasters, who have argued that making sensitive advertising rate information so publically available will undermine stations' competitiveness and give advertisers unfair leverage over how much they are willing to pay. A coalition of broadcasters put forth a compromise plan that would have required TV stations to put public files online while shielding information about political spending.

FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski rejected the compromise, noting stations already make available paper records of what they charge political advertisers. He said there was no reason such information should be "stuck in a filing cabinet" in an online world.

Genachowski and another Democratic commissioner, Mignon Clyburn, voted in favor of the new disclosure rules. Commissioner Robert McDowell, a Republican, voted in favor of an overall measure requiring stations to move their public files online but dissented on disclosing the political file.

By law, television stations offer political candidates the lowest available advertising rates. Stations also allow the public to review paper records of what they charge political advertisers.

But disclosure advocates say the process of retrieving the information is far too cumbersome, requiring someone to show up at the station during office hours and photocopy many pages of records. More important, advocates argue the public should have easy access to information about how much candidates and other groups are spending on television to lure voters.

The new rule will require stations to digitize and upload the information, in real time, to the FCC's website, Home | FCC.gov.

Network-affiliated stations in the top 50 markets will have six months to comply. For all others, the deadline is 2014.

FCC requires TV stations to post rate info online - Wire Election News - The Sacramento Bee