US implements new rules requiring broadcasters to identify foreign-government material

Require disclosure on the time of broadcast if overseas governmental entity paid a radio, tv station to air materials

WASHINGTON:

The US Federal Communications Fee (FCC) mentioned on Tuesday that new necessities mandating broadcasters disclose when overseas governments or their representatives lease time on their airwaves recently took hold.

The FCC unanimously adopted the brand new guidelines in April 2021. The fee mentioned the brand new guidelines are efficient instantly for brand new leasing agreements and must be carried out inside about six months for current agreements.

The foundations require disclosure on the time of a broadcast if a overseas governmental entity paid a radio or tv station, instantly or not directly, to air materials. Prior guidelines don’t specify when and the way overseas authorities sponsorship ought to be publicly disclosed.

The problem has taken on new urgency within the aftermath of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel mentioned Tuesday that “in gentle of latest occasions, this effort — which is all about transparency — has taken on new significance. It’s important that audiences know when a broadcast station has been compensated to air content material coming from a overseas authorities.”

Final 12 months, Rosenworcel mentioned fee studies of overseas government-sponsored programming had multiplied in recent times.

“We all know that overseas entities are buying time on broadcast stations in markets throughout the nation, together with Chinese language government-sponsored programming and Russian government-sponsored programming proper right here in our nation’s capital,” she mentioned in April 2021.

Russian media outlet RT America informed workers this month it was ending manufacturing and shedding most workers, based on a memo reported by CNN.

Earlier this month, DirecTV, the most important satellite tv for pc supplier in america, mentioned it was planning to drop RT America in response to Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine.