Almost invariably, the public media are thought to have a duty to publish or broadcast election statements by competing parties. It is generally accepted that the publicly funded media have some obligation to allow parties and candidates to communicate directly with the electorate.
Beyond that, however, there are many issues to be determined.
Paid Advertising, Free Access, or a Mixture of the Two?
It will have to be determined whether direct access by political parties will be free or paid or, as is often the case, a mixture of the two. Different rules are often adopted for print and broadcast media. Sometimes all parties are allocated free direct access but can top this up with paid advertising.
How Is the Time or Space Divided?
In a system of paid advertising, this may not be an issue - time is simply allocated to those who can pay. (Many would argue that this is why paid advertising is an unfair option.) But if direct access broadcasts are to be allocated by a regulatory body, how will this be done? What criteria have to be taken into account to divide up the available time? Is it to be done on the basis of equality - so that every party gets the same time - or equitability (fairness), whereby parties are allocated time according to the degree of popular support they enjoy. If the latter, then how is that determined? Should time be allocated on the basis of past electoral support (the number of seats currently held in parliament), opinion polls, the number of candidates standing - or some other criterion or a mixture of all of them? Different countries have adopted widely varying systems.
Timing of Slots
Will there be regulation about the times that slots are broadcast? If everyone is to get a chance to broadcast in peak time, how can slots be allocated? What order will the parties be allowed to broadcast in?
Who Pays - and Who Makes the Programme?
Will the party be responsible for making its own broadcast or will facilities be made available by the public broadcaster? And who foots the bill for the production of these spots?
Who Decides What is Broadcast?
Does the regulatory body have any say in the content of direct access broadcasts or political advertising? Can the parties say what they like? What are the limits?
