Last update: March 16, 2022 6:57 PM
America’s flag
The US authorities revealed new rules regarding the broadcast of any material that is paid for by any foreign government, for the sake of transparency, in light of recent developments, especially related to the Russian war on Ukraine.
The US Federal Communications Commission (FCC) said Tuesday that the new requirements require officials at radio or television stations to disclose when foreign governments or their representatives lease time on their airwaves.
The authority unanimously adopted the new rules in April 2021, but said that “the new rules became effective immediately with regard to new lease agreements… and they need to be implemented within six months for existing agreements.”
The new rules require disclosure during broadcast time if a foreign government entity pays a radio or television station, directly or indirectly, to broadcast material, as previous rules did not specify when and how foreign government sponsorship should be publicly disclosed.
This issue gained new momentum in the wake of the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
“We know that foreign entities are buying time at broadcasters in markets across the country, including Chinese government-sponsored programs and Russian government-sponsored programs here in our country’s capital,” Federal Communications Commission chief Jessica Rosenworsel said in April last year. Noting that this has doubled in recent years.
On Tuesday, Rosenworsel said: “In light of recent events, this matter, which is all regarding transparency, has taken on new importance. It is essential for the public to know when a radio station is being paid for content coming from a foreign government.”
CNN reported that Russian media outlet RT America told its employees this month that it would halt production and lay off most employees.
