4th Circuit: Election ad discount is just for candidates

RICHMOND — The Fourth Circuit found the FCC is wrong to issue a public notice in the spring asserting that its policy requiring broadcast stations to offer candidates the lowest available advertising rate for the 45 days prior to primary elections and the 60-day period before a general election also applied to political parties and joint fundraising committees. The clear language of the lowest-price policy applies exclusively to candidates, so the public notice is “set aside and [held] for naught.”Read the ruling here.Subscribe to our free newslettersOur weekly newsletter Closing Arguments offers the latest about ongoing trials, major litigation and rulings in courthouses around the U.S. and the world, while the monthly Under the Lights dishes the legal dirt from Hollywood, sports, Big Tech and the arts.Additional Reads