FTC senior researcher Tyler Cooper released this statement following the announcement that the Supreme Court would conduct its November and December arguments remotely and offer live audio access:

With the announcement that the court will provide live audio for the next two sittings, after having successfully done so this month and in May, it’s now time for Chief Justice Roberts to make live argument audio a permanent fixture of the Supreme Court.

It would be unfathomable for a branch of government to provide this level of public access only to later rip it away.

Historically, advances in broadcast access occur once per decade. In 2000, the court offered same-day audio for the first time. In 2010 the court changed its practice from releasing argument audio at the start of the next term to the end of an argument week.

It’d be fitting, then, for a permanent live audio policy to be codified in 2020.