KKWE Niijii Broadcasting Political Broadcasting & Candidate Policy
Effective Date: October 1, 2026 Purpose: To ensure that KKWE Niijii Radio remains a trusted, independent community resource while strictly adhering to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) rules for non-commercial educational (NCE) stations and the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) regulations governing 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations.
1. General Principles & Non-Endorsement
• 501(c)(3) Prohibition: As a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, KKWE Niijii Broadcasting is absolutely prohibited from directly or indirectly participating in, or intervening in, any political campaign on behalf of (or in opposition to) any candidate for elective public office.
• No Station Endorsements: The station will not endorse, fund, or provide preferential platforming to any political candidate, political party, or political action committee (PAC).
• Personal vs. Station Views: Program hosts, DJs, and volunteers may not use the station’s airwaves, website, or social media channels to endorse candidates or express personal political opinions that imply the station’s endorsement.
2. FCC Equal Opportunities Rule (“Equal Time”)
If KKWE permits any legally qualified candidate for public office to use its broadcast facilities, it must afford equal opportunities to all other legally qualified candidates for that same office.
• Definition of a “Use”: A “use” is any broadcast appearance by a candidate where their voice or likeness is identifiable, even if they do not discuss politics.
• The 7-Day Rule: Opposing candidates must request their equal opportunity time within seven (7) days of the first candidate’s broadcast.
• Exemptions: Equal opportunity requirements do not apply to appearances by candidates on:
o Bona fide newscasts
o Bona fide news interviews (e.g., a regularly scheduled public affairs program)
o Bona fide news documentaries (if the candidate’s appearance is incidental)
o On-the-spot coverage of bona fide news events (e.g., political debates or rallies)
3. On-Air Volunteers and Staff Running for Office
To protect the station’s neutrality and prevent accidental “equal opportunity” triggers, strict rules apply to station personnel running for office.
• Mandatory Disclosure: Any volunteer, programmer, or paid staff member who becomes a
legally qualified candidate for any public office (local, state, or federal) must immediately
notify the Station Manager in writing.
• Leave of Absence: Once a staff member or volunteer becomes an official candidate, they
must take a mandatory leave of absence from all on-air hosting, producing, and
programming duties until the election concludes.
• Voice Appearances: Pre-recorded promos, liners, or intros featuring the candidate’s voice
must be removed from the broadcast rotation immediately.
4. Non-Commercial Policy & Political Advertising
• No Paid Political Ads: As a non-commercial educational station, KKWE Niijii Radio cannot
accept paid political advertising or paid promotional announcements from candidates,
campaigns, or PACs.
• Underwriting Boundaries: Political entities, candidates, and campaign committees are not
eligible to become station underwriters. Underwriting announcements from standard
donors must remain strictly neutral and cannot reference active candidates, elections, or
legislative voting matters.
5. News, Public Affairs, and Debates
KKWE Niijii Radio encourages robust community discussion, news coverage, and public policy
debate, provided it is conducted fairly.
• Balanced Coverage: News and public affairs programming covering an election must make
a good-faith effort to provide balanced, fair, and objective coverage of all major viewpoints
and candidates.
• Debates: If the station hosts or broadcasts a political debate, it must be structured in a
non-partisan manner. The station should invite all legally qualified candidates running for
that specific office, or utilize a fair, pre-established set of objective criteria to determine
participation.
• No Censorship: In the rare event that a candidate is granted airtime under the Equal
Opportunities rule, the station cannot censor the content of the candidate’s broadcast,
unless it violates federal laws regarding obscenity or lottery information.
6. Compliance and Record Keeping
• The Political File: The station will maintain a complete and accurate Political File as part
of its FCC Public Inspection File. This file must document all requests for airtime by
candidates or their representatives, along with the station’s disposition of those requests
(granted or denied), dates, times, and details of any associated broadcasts.
