NPR Won't Restrict Debate Coverage

NPR says it will make its coverage of two presidential debates available "without restrictions" to media outlets and individuals following their broadcasts and webcasts.

The debates--one Republican and one Democratic--are scheduled for Jan. 9 and 10, 2008 in Des Moines.

In another sign that the Web is a growing factor in political speech various groups-- joined by candidates including Barack Obama  and John Edwards-- have called on media outlets to lift restrictions on debate footage so that it can be shared freely among social networking sites and elsewhere on the Web.

CNN has agreed to allow unrestricted access to its debate footage, while NBC's MSNBC has said it will allow anyone to link to its footage, but maintains length and time restrictions on others use of that footage.

John Eggerton

Contributing editor John Eggerton has been an editor and/or writer on media regulation, legislation and policy for over four decades, including covering the FCC, FTC, Congress, the major media trade associations, and the federal courts. In addition to Multichannel News and Broadcasting + Cable, his work has appeared in Radio World, TV Technology, TV Fax, This Week in Consumer Electronics, Variety and the Encyclopedia Britannica.