Apply to Host A Televised Election Forum

As you can tell by the comments here on >Rockville Central, people want to know more about the Mayor and Council candidates. If your group or organization is thinking about applying to host a televised Mayor and Council debate or forum, the deadline for submitting the Expression of Interest Form is Friday, September 4, 2009. The Form and Campaign Policy are available on the City’s website.

The City may televise on Rockville 11 as many as three candidate debates or forums with the Mayoral candidates and Council candidates debating separately. The available dates are September 15, 22, 24, 29, 30, October 1, 5, 6, 7, 8 13, 19. This schedule will allow the forum to be replayed prior to the November 3rd Election.

The Campaign Guidelines specify that the following criteria will be considered when deciding if a forum should be televised:

• Location and the adequacy for television production
• Availability of production schedule, on-air program schedule, adequate advanced notice, availability of personnel, equipment, and other resources
• Ability to televise it live, if possible
• All candidates appearing on the ballot are invited to participate
• It is sponsored/hosted by an independent, non-partisan organization that does not endorse candidates (such as the League of Women Voters) and focuses on citywide issues
• City staff are not involved in any way in the hosting, moderating, facilitating, or asking of questions – only television production and possibly facility space will be provided
• No editing will be done with the exception of adding opening and closing graphics, transitions between multiple tapes, correction of technical problems, etc.
• If the Mayor and Council chambers is used, the set should be altered so it does not appear to be the same set up as a regular Mayor and Council meeting.

They’ll have a drawing to pick if more than three apply and meet the City’s criteria listed above. A group can hold a forum or debate without applying for it to be televised.

As we have mentioned at Rockville Roundtable, we here at Rockville Central plan on hosting a forum and we encourage participation in all the debates.

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