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Show Hingkley Journal of Politics 2005 Airing Democracy: Politics and Broadcast Television Travis Currit In an information age where knowledge is power, and political knowledge doubly so, broadcast {non-cable) television is of vital importance. As the cheapest and most widely available information medium, broadcast television has a uniquely democratic potential to disseminate political information across traditional socio-economic boundaries. And as the beneficiary of the immensely valuable gift of the free use of the publicly-owned airwaves, broadcast television has a real obligation to achieve this potential. Unfortunately, the amount of useful political information available on broadcast television has declined dramatically in the past twenty years to startlingly low current levels. This paper analyzes the extent of this decline, its possible causes and effects, and previous attempts at reform. While this complex issue defies simple solution, the importance and scope of the problem warrant continued vigilance in seeking to establish television as a truly democratic medium. Introduction Politics and television. Both are indelible parts of our national consciousness, implacable objects of public scorn and ridicule, simultaneously blamed for all of society's ills and called upon to cure all of society's problems. And they are inextricably intertwined: television depending on politics for the regulation that ensures its existence, and our democracy depending on television to provide political information to the public. It is thus imperative to analyze the current situation of this relationship, specifically concerning broadcast television, the most widely available, ideally democratic form of television, and its role in the dissemination of political information. To do this it is necessary to identify how much and what kind of political information is being aired on broadcast television. Unfortunately, most evidence gathered by concerned agencies and academic researchers over the past 40 years suggests that the amount is very low, and the quality likewise poor. Questions then arise as to what factors have gone into the creation of this situation, what the effects of this level of information are on the public and the healthy functioning of our democracy, what attempts have been made and are being made at change, and finally, the possibility of their success. But before these questions are answered, it is necessary to first back up a step and answer the basic question "So what?" Why is a lack of political information on broadcast television so troubling? Why focus on broadcast television in particular, with so many other forms of media out there, such as the Internet, cable television, radio, newspapers, and magazines? What is the importance of broadcast television to our democ- racy I The Importance of Television The answer lies in the uniquely egalitarian aspect of broadcast television. For the average citizen, no other informational medium has such low barriers for entry in terms of cost, effort, and required level of education. Broadcast television is extremely cheap, requiring only a TV set-easily obtainable for under $100-and a location within receiving distance of a broadcast station. Set-up for most basic television sets is relatively simple, and once the set is installed, the only effort required to tap into the broadcast informational stream is the push of a button. Television, because of its reliance on sounds, images, and emotion, also requires low active mental engagement, making it a relaxing leisure time activity certainly not limited to the industrious or motivated. Likewise, because of its visceral, non-verbal nature, most television broadcasts require little education to understand and appreciate. These factors have combined to make the television a ubiquitous feature of the American home-with over 98 percent of households having at least one television set (US Census Bureau 2001)-and television watching a national past time, to the tune of an average of 319 minutes a day for the participants in one study, an amount which dwarfs the use of any other medium (Papper et al. 2004). Thus broadcast television is the most watched and the most influential medium on our shared popular culture. Through its prevalence, broadcast television has assumed the status of the common denom- 73 |