SCANDAL allegations surrounding Bill Clinton have been the networks’ top story this year, but the President has fared better on the evening news than any of his major accusers, according to a study by the Center for Media and Public Affairs (CMPA), a nonpartisan, nonprofit research organization that utilizes scientific content analysis to study media coverage.

The study found that Clinton and his aides have been the networks’ favorite sources for scandal quotes and that charges relating to the President’s sexual conduct have garnered the most TV time. CMPA researchers examined 561 stories on the various scandal allegations surrounding President Clinton broadcast on the network evening news shows between January 1 and April 30, 1998. Combined, the three newscasts generated 16 hours, 40 minutes of scandal news - over four hours per month. The presidential scandals beat out all other major stories, including the El Nino weather phenomenon (376 stories) and the U.S. showdown with Iraq (306 stories).

Among the major findings of the study:

The amount of scandal news jumped in 1998. During his first five years in office, when the President faced allegations surrounding Whitewater, "Travelgate" and campaign finance improprieties, the networks broadcast 1,071 scandal stories, an average of 18 per month. This year, the rate jumped to 140 scandal stories per month. As of April 30, 1998, total scandal coverage of the Clinton White House was 1,632 stories. Nearly 500 news stories this year focused on the President’s sexual behavior.

Anonymous sources were cited for one out of every six comments on the evening news. But, statements from the Clinton camp comprised 37 percent of all sources who were identified, more than all accusers combined. Independent counsel Kenneth Starr and his team accounted for only 7 percent of identifiable news sources.