Effective: September 1, 1990
Revised as noted: 8/1/92
Revised as noted: 2/1/94
Revised as noted: 9/1/98
Revised as noted: 10/17/00
KUED-TV POLICIES FOR POLITICAL BROADCASTS
Statement of Intent
It is the intent of KUED-TV to actively participate in
the nation’s political process through production of
timely television programming designed to inform the public
on issues or legally qualified candidates involved in elections
for federal or statewide elective office. Such programs
will be journalistically accountable, afford substantial
opportunity for the presentation of differing viewpoints
on issues facing the electorate, and will refrain from creating,
either through format or scheduling, an advantage for any
single candidate or political viewpoint.
Participation
Participation in election or political programming produced
or aired by KUED-TV will be afforded to all candidates,
political parties or duly designated representatives of
advocacy groups who meet the following criteria, or as otherwise
required by law:
1) A political party which received five percent of the
gross ballot tally in Utah in the preceding election for
President of the United States, OR five percent of the gross
ballot tally for Governor of the State of Utah, if the party
is not incorporated outside of the State of Utah. Invitations
will be extended to legally qualified candidates for public
office duly nominated and endorsed by political parties
meeting this requirement, as limited by additional criteria
outlined in this document.
2) An organization responsible for garnering the appropriate
number of citizen signatures to confirm placement of an
initiative or referendum on the statewide Utah ballot in
the next scheduled general election, as determined by the
Utah Lieutenant Governor’s office; or, an organization
or individual selected by the State of Utah to offer countervailing
arguments in state sponsored voter information guides on
initiative or referenda qualified for the ballot.
3) Individual political candidates, regardless of partisan
affiliation, receiving a minimum of five percent preference
(revised 8/1/92) in one or more pre-election polls published
or broadcast by daily newspaper or broadcast journalism
enterprises in the state, employing established opinion
survey procedures, with a calculated margin of error less
than ten percent. (Revised 9/1/98) Public opinion surveys
commissioned by political parties, individual candidates
or private subscribers will not be acceptable in meeting
this criteria for participation. (Revised 9/1/98)
4) In the absence of published public opinion data in any
race for public office, KUED-TV will systematically review
each of the legally qualified candidates in the race. Utilizing
the soundest journalistic criteria available, KUED will
assess demonstrations of voter interest, demonstrations
of news media interest, inclusion of candidates in election
service results, the completion of financial reporting documents,
and campaign activity to determine candidate inclusion.
(Revised 9/1/98)
5) Candidates participating in political debates may not
employ at any time during the course of the program visual
aids, graphic arts, video and/or film clips. (Revised: 10/20/00)
6) KUED will endeavor to confirm candidate participation
in debate programming in a reasonable and responsible fashion.
Such confirmation will be offered in writing to the invited
candidate, and/or the candidate’s designated recipient.
After such confirmation of participation, KUED-TV will not
accept surrogates to appear in a candidate’s behalf
during debate programs.
(Revised: 10/20/00)
Limitations
These rules of inclusion will have no bearing on invitations
extended to political parties and/or candidates for participation
in community service programs produced by KUED-TV. All legally
qualified candidates for federal or statewide elective office
will be afforded an equal opportunity to participate in
"Candidate Free Speech Messages" produced by KUED-TV.
(Revised 2/1/94) These messages will afford unrestricted
air time of equal or approximately equal length to each
candidate, and the resulting programs will be broadcast
at times providing equal or approximately equal exposure
to an audience in the KUED broadcast schedule.
Inclusion in such community service programs does not constitute
an invitation for participation in political or election
debates.
KUED-TV reserves the right to not participate in production
of election programming involving a federal or statewide
public office, or an initiative or referendum qualified
for statewide balloting.
Appropriate Political Broadcasts
KUED-TV accepts the broad responsibility attendant to the
broadcast media’s participation in the political process.
The station recognizes its primary mission as providing
balanced, accurate and informative programming to the electorate
on issues and candidates subject to the public vote.
KUED-TV also recognizes a mandate as a public broadcast
institution to be fiscally efficient in the utilization
of its resources while in service to its community. KUED-TV
will limit commitment of resources to coverage of those
issues or legally qualified candidates which appear on federal
or statewide ballots.
By definition, this policy will limit KUED-TV’s broadcast
coverage of political debates to legally qualified candidates
participating in federal or statewide races for elective
office, and issues qualified for the statewide general election
ballot.
Acceptance of Funding from Political Sources
KUED-TV will neither solicit nor accept financial contributions
from declared candidates for political office, when said
contribution is offered in return for participation in political
programming originated by the station.
KUED-TV will neither solicit nor accept financial contributions
from organized citizen groups advocating passage or defeat
of ballot initiatives or referenda, when said contribution
is offered in return for participation in political programming
originated by the station.
KUED-TV will not rent, lease, sell or otherwise provide
for financial consideration any media service, facility,
personnel or broadcast time to candidates for political
office, political parties or organizations actively involved
in campaigns associated with initiatives or referenda. (Revised
2/1/94)
For Further Information
The following KUED-TV personnel are capable of discussing
the station’s political broadcast policies and procedures:
Ken
Verdoia
Senior Producer/Public Affairs
(801) 581-7777
kverdoia-@-kued.org
Scott
Chaffin
Director of Broadcasting
(801) 581-7777
schaffin-@-kued.org
Larry
Smith
General Manager
(801) 581-7777
lsmith-@-kued.org
