Unchecked political diarrhea

Dear Alabama TV stations:

I think the TV ads of the candidates running for U.S. Senator from Alabama and for Alabama Governor are political diarrhea, and it is appalling that the ads are effective for getting voters to vote for the candidates. 

I am very interested in what you and your TV news editors and reporters think.

If you and your editors and reporters also think that the TV ads are political diarrhea and it is appalling that the ads are effective for getting voters to vote for the candidates, then I ask whether you think Alabama TV stations, in their public service role to support democracy and the democratic process, have an obligation to counter the TV ads.

If you and your TV news editors and reporters feel there is such an obligation, my next question is what Alabama TV stations are doing to fulfill that obligation, and whether you and your news editors and reporters think the TV stations are adequately fulfilling that obligation.

In posing the above questions, there needs to be taken into account that the candidates are paying the TV stations a lot of money to have the candidates' ads shown on the TV stations' channels. Accordingly, if the TV stations should do anything that counters the TV ads, the candidates may object to the TV stations doing that and possibly decide the candidates will stop paying money to the TV stations to run the ads. If that happened, there could be a ignificant reduction in the revenues and profitability of the TV stations. 

Such a reduction in the revenues and profitability of the TV stations could result in the TV stations making a business decision that the TV stations will not do anything to counter the TV ads of the candidates, notwithstanding that the TV stations think that the ads are political diarrhea, and that it is appalling that the ads are effective for getting voters to vote for the candidates.

Dear Alabama TV stations:
Do you & your news editors & reporters think the TV ads of the candidates that are run on your TV channels are political diarrhea & it is appalling the ads are effective for getting voters to vote for the candidates?https://t.co/1Kw33vIMbl#alpolitics

— Rob Shattuck (@RobShattuckAL06) March 8, 2022

Thank you.
I'll write an email to @FOX10News Sales Director Michael Strickler to inquire whether business considerations prevent the TV station from doing anything to counter the political diarrhea of the ads the station runs for candidates.#alpolitics

— Rob Shattuck (@RobShattuckAL06) March 9, 2022 

Beyond reporting Gov. Ivey signed permitless carry bill, does @waff48 think TV ads Gov. Ivey runs on its channel are political diarrhea?https://t.co/1Kw33w0nzV@kelliemillerTV @lizhurleyWAFF @ReporterPayton @NolanCrane @HaleyBakerWAFF @ReporterEric @Tiffanywaff48 #alpolitics

— Rob Shattuck (@RobShattuckAL06) March 10, 2022

3/15/22 What Alabama TV stations can do

One thing TV stations could do is condition the running of a candidate's ads on the candidate being willing to submit to being interviewed by the TV station. This would possibly require Alabama TV stations to put their journalistic public service integrity ahead of their business considerations if candidates were unwilling to be interviewed and chose not to run ads on the TV station's channel

It has been suggested conditioning running of the ad on candidate's agreeing to be interviewed would be illegal. 

That would be illegal. https://t.co/hk672xOUtH

— Yaffee (@Yaffee) March 15, 2022

Thanks for info.
I will explore w/ TV stations other ways to put check on flow of political diarrhea they run for candidates, such as empty chair technique per https://t.co/i08qSWxyQW@BrittanyWVTM13 @IanWVTM13 @guyWVTM13 @SheriFalkWVTM13 @GeneAla13 @ShannonWVTM13#alpolitics

— Rob Shattuck (@RobShattuckAL06) March 15, 2022

If a TV station cannot condition running of an ad on candidate's agreeing to be interviewed, substantially the same effect could probably be achieved by requesting the candidate to submit to an interview, and, if the candidate refused, the TV station could do editorial commentary on the candidate's ad, including stating questions the TV station would ask the candidate in an interview and that the candidate refuses to answer.

If TV station can't condition running ad on candidate agreeing to an interview, TV station can invite candidate to be interviewed and, if candidate declines, TV station can do critical editorial commentary about ad.
See what I've added to https://t.co/1Kw33w0nzV#alpolitics

— Rob Shattuck (@RobShattuckAL06) March 15, 2022

Can you express any encouragement to me in my asking local TV stations, which receive ad revenues from candidates, to seek to do journalistically respectable interviews of the candidates?https://t.co/1Kw33w0nzV#alpolitics https://t.co/IzgwB5dVYO

— Rob Shattuck (@RobShattuckAL06) March 27, 2022