Arkansas Educational Television Commn. v. Forbes
United States Supreme Court
523 U.S. 666 (1998)
Relevant factsFree
AETC (defendant), a state-owned public broadcaster, sponsored a congressional debate between the major-party candidates but excluded independent candidate Forbes (plaintiff); the evidentiary record supported that his exclusion was based on his lack of seriousness as a candidate rather than opposition to his political views, and the court of appeals had found the exclusion unconstitutional.
IssueFree
Whether the exclusion of an independent congressional candidate from a political debate sponsored by a state-owned public television broadcaster violates that candidate's First Amendment right to freedom of speech.
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