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Carolina Curious: Do TV And Radio Stations Have To Run Political Advertisements?

Greg Orman, an independent candidate for U.S. Senate, watches a television campaign ad as the talks about launching his statewide television and radio ad campaign during a news conference at his campaign headquarters Thursday, July 10, 2014, in Shawnee, Kan. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)

Chances are, sometime in recent days, you've seen or heard a political ad. They're everywhere right now, and they come in different packages - attack ads, the character ad, maybe an ad focused on endorsements.

It's a lot to take in, and this election season, WFDD listener James Sims wanted to know if radio and television stations have any ability to refuse to run political ads, or if they're obligated, even if the content is false.

To find the answer, WFDD's Bethany Chafin spoke with Associate Professor of Law Enrique Armijo at Elon University School of Law. 

Editor's Note: The political ads we're talking about here would not be heard on public television or radio stations like WFDD. That's because, under the Communications Act, public stations aren't allowed to run most political spots. So, for the purposes of this conversation, we're talking about commercial broadcasters. This transcript has been lightly edited fo

Bethany is WFDD's editorial director. She joined the staff in the fall of 2012. She received her B.A. and M.A. in English Literature from Wake Forest University. Between undergraduate studies and graduate school, Bethany served as the intern to Talk of the Nation at NPR in D.C., participating in live NPR Election Night Coverage, Presidential debate broadcasts, regular Talk of the Nation shows, and helping to plan the inaugural broadcast of ‘Talk of the World.' She enjoys engaging with her interests in books, politics, and art in the interdisciplinary world of public radio. Before becoming editorial director, Bethany was assistant news Director, a reporter and associate producer for WFDD's Triad Arts and Triad Arts Weekend. Originally from Jacksonville, Florida, Bethany enjoys calling the Piedmont home.

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