Televised Political Debates and Arkansas Educational Television Commission v. Forbes: Excluding the Public from Public Broadcasting

Abstract

This note will examine the Court's decision in Forbes and discuss its implications for future First Amendment and 47 U.S.C. § 315 cases involving political speech. Part II discusses the historical background of cases and statutory law concerning both public access to television under the First Amendment and the permissible regulation of free speech under the First Amendment. Part III discusses the facts and procedural history of Forbes. This prefaces the discussion in Part IV in which the majority and dissenting opinions will be summarized and analyzed. Part V will be a critical projection of immediate and future trends in the First Amendment's application to broadcasting. Part VI of this note will briefly summarize the material.