Radio and TV stations must now disclose foreign government-backed programming

The US communications regulator has finalized rules requiring radio and television stations to clearly identify programming provided by foreign governments. This means broadcasters must now actively investigate the source of certain content and make on-air disclosures to their audience.

For years, foreign governments could provide content to US broadcasters without a clear, mandatory disclosure to the audience. This change means audiences will now know when the content they are watching or listening to is backed by a foreign government. It also means broadcasters now have a legal obligation to perform due diligence on their programming sources.