This is election season, and community radio stations are increasingly brought into the conversation. The stakes are high. There are legal requirements for stations related to candidate appearances on your station, listener questions about election claims, and underwriters who want to know what they can say about issues of the day. The penalties for compliance missteps are significant financially.
NFCB hosts a range of tools for community radio stations to make it through the election season. Here are ten top resources.
- Public Radio Legal Handbook
- Webinar: Political Broadcasting Rules
- Guidance on underwriting by political candidates
- Write-in candidates and station obligations
- Webinar: Political Broadcasting and Community Radio
- Public File requirements for stations and elections
- Requirements for Low-Power FMs when candidates request interviews
- Can a DJ running for public office stay on the air?
- Do podcast interviews with candidates trigger equal opportunity claims?
- What are the restrictions for political activities by stations and stakeholders?
In addition, NFCB has a bonus webinar for newsroooms and producers: Spotting Election Misinformation.
To access these materials, you must be an NFCB member station with a login to the Solution Center. If you are with a member station and need help, please contact us now for assistance.
If your community radio station is not yet a member, you can join here.
