US Lawmakers Push for More Transparency Over Foreign Governments’ US Media Operations
A bipartisan group of U.S. lawmakers have introduced legislation to boost the authority of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to oversee foreign sponsorships of TV and radio programs broadcast in America.
The bill, dubbed the Identifying Propaganda on Our Airwaves (IPA) Act, would allow the FCC to require that broadcasters check foreign media databases to identify who is sponsoring the programming (pdf).
The bill was introduced in the Senate by Sens. Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii) and Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.). Rep. Anna Eshoo (D-Calif.) introduced a companion bill in the House of Representatives.
In 2021, the FCC issued rules asking broadcasters to verify the identity of sponsors by checking the agency’s “U.S.-Based Foreign Media Outlets” reports, as well as the Department of Justice’s Foreign Agents Registration Act website….