A Political Revolution for Everyone: Take Back the Public Airwaves

Coverage Type: 

[Commentary] Every few years someone reminds us that the 1934 Federal Communications Act declared that the American airwaves — the broadcast media — are public utilities that belong to America. To the sovereign people. And that the television and radio time our candidates for office spend up to three billion dollars per Presidential campaign to buy and use, is actually already ours and should assure free and fair and affordable elections for legitimate candidates national and local, Presidential and Congressional. If our memories weren’t so fogged by the current American Idol style electoral craziness and the recriminations over Citizens United, we might not have to be reminded that four years ago Michael Wolff writing in USA Today noticed that “almost all commentary about campaign finance is related to the bad odor of the people who spend this money and not a whit to what the overwhelming amount of it is spent on: television in battleground states. Sure, rich men have disproportionate political power and opportunities... But the solution is easy, and does not involve spending limits, free speech issues, or even banning Super PACs. Broadcast television is a regulated utility. It is perfectly legal, reasonable and, at least from the public’s view, uncontroversial to require broadcast television to provide free air time to qualified candidates."

Bottom line: you want a real political revolution? A real assault on big money? Take back the airwaves that already belong to us and make them available to candidates gratis during elections. Maybe one day we can break up the big banks. And tear down the establishment. And rescind Citizens United. But the best way to even the political playing field right now is to break the hold of corporate media monopolies over our airwaves and, in restoring them to us, restore our democratic voice in the battle for equality.

[Benjamin Barber is a democratic theorist and founder of Global Parliament of Mayors]


A Political Revolution for Everyone: Take Back the Public Airwaves