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The FCC unanimously adopted the new rules in
April 2021. The commission said the new rules are effective
immediately for new leasing agreements and need to be
implemented within about six months for existing agreements.
The rules require disclosure at the time of a broadcast if a
foreign governmental entity paid a radio or television station,
directly or indirectly, to air material. Prior rules do not
specify when and how foreign government sponsorship should be
publicly disclosed.
The issue has taken on new urgency in the aftermath of Russia's
invasion of Ukraine.
FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel said Tuesday that "in light
of recent events, this effort — which is all about transparency
— has taken on new importance. It is essential that audiences
know when a broadcast station has been compensated to air
content coming from a foreign government."
Last year, Rosenworcel said commission reports of foreign
government-sponsored programming had multiplied in recent years.
"We know that foreign entities are purchasing time on broadcast
stations in markets across the country, including Chinese
government-sponsored programming and Russian
government-sponsored programming right here in our nation's
capital," she said in April 2021.
Russian media outlet RT America told employees this month it was
ending production and laying off most staff, according to a memo
reported by CNN.
Earlier this month, DirecTV, the largest satellite provider in
the United States, said it was planning to drop RT America in
response to Moscow's invasion of Ukraine.
(Reporting by David ShepardsonEditing by Chizu Nomiyama and
Frank Jack Daniel)
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