Robert Torricelli: “In the year 2000, they have already spent $1.4 million. As the Washington Post reported on May 2, when it comes to…”

“In the year 2000, they have already spent $1.4 million. As the Washington Post reported on May 2, when it comes to helping solve the political fundraising problem, the broadcasting industry ``doesn't see beyond its own bottom line.'' Exactly. They are for campaign finance reform, unless they have to make a contribution. They are the principal component of this problem. Every person in this institution is spending time raising money when they should be working on legislation--compromising public confidence in the Congress by raising exorbitant amounts of money to feed the television networks that do not meet their own responsibility in reporting the news, no less in reducing the costs. This is everybody's problem. The principal burden of solving it is in this Senate. I do not excuse that. The principal burden is here. We should be requiring free or low-cost television. But it is not our problem alone. Everyone in America can make a contribution to this. And it begins with the networks. You have a public license. The airwaves of the United States belong to the American people. In no other democracy in the world does the cost approach what we require for political candidates to raise money to use the public airwaves to communicate with our own constituents--sold at a profit. I believe this Senate should require the FCC to have the networks offer a reasonable amount of free or reduced-rate advertising to candidates for Federal office as a matter of law.”