Sponsorship Identification Requirements for Foreign Government-Provided Programming

In this document, the Federal Communications Commission (Commission) takes steps to ensure clear and reasonable foreign sponsorship identification rules, which require radio and television broadcast stations to inform audiences when programming aired pursuant to a lease of airtime on the station is sponsored by a foreign governmental entity. The document replaces a previous requirement of the rules with a new approach that provides licensees with two options for demonstrating that they have sought to obtain the information needed to determine whether the programming being provided by a lessee is sponsored by a foreign governmental entity. The revised approach addresses concerns broadcasters had regarding the burdens and complexity of the rule and clarifies when the rule applies.