Radio Broadcasters' Online Sponsorship ID Proposal Opposed by Some Groups
A proposal for the FCC to no longer require radio broadcasters to disclose on-air some details of sponsorship identification was opposed by groups favoring such disclosure, show filings posted to docket 15-52 Tuesday and Wednesday. The Radio Broadcasters Coalition petitioned…
Sign up for a free preview to unlock the rest of this article
Export Compliance Daily combines U.S. export control news, foreign border import regulation and policy developments into a single daily information service that reliably informs its trade professional readers about important current issues affecting their operations.
Nov. 26 for a class waiver of the sponsorship ID requirements, to provide information about sponsored material through less frequent on-air announcements with enhanced online disclosures (see 1503130051). Those opposed to the request raised issues of payola if such ID goes online. "Preventing structural payola is essential for promoting broadcast localism," said Common Cause, the Future of Music Coalition, Media Alliance, National Federation of Community Broadcasters, Prometheus Radio Project, United Church of Christ and a few other groups. "If this waiver were granted, large corporations could purchase airtime for songs advocating for their preferred social or political viewpoints" and "the vast majority of listeners would never know," they said. Common Cause and the Future of Music Coalition also made individual filings, as did musicians including David Lowery. It's "incorrect" that the waiver would promote payola, said the radio coalition that includes Beasley Broadcast, Cox Enterprises, Emmis, Entercom and iHeartMedia. "Rather than eviscerate protections against payola, the requested waiver would result in easier and more useful public access to information about sponsored music and sports programming," it said. "Restrictions on payola would remain in full force if the waiver request were granted and more information, not less, would be available to the consumer."