II 

109TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION S. 967 

To amend the Communications Act of 1934 to ensure that prepackaged 

news stories contain announcements that inform viewers that the information within was provided by the United States Government, and for 

other purposes. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

APRIL 28, 2005 

Mr. LAUTENBERG (for himself, Mr. KERRY, Mrs. CLINTON, Mr. KENNEDY, 

Mr. DORGAN, Mrs. BOXER, and Mr. DAYTON) introduced the following 

bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, 

Science, and Transportation 

A BILL 

To amend the Communications Act of 1934 to ensure that 

prepackaged news stories contain announcements that 

inform viewers that the information within was provided 

by the United States Government, and for other purposes. 

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Truth in Broadcasting 

5 Act of 2005’’. 
2 

•S 967 IS 

1 SEC. 2. TRUTH IN BROADCASTING OF PREPACKAGED NEWS 

2 STORIES. 

3 Part I of title III of the Communications Act of 1934 

4 (47 U.S.C. 301 et seq.) is amended by adding at the end 

5 the following: 

6 ‘‘SEC. 342. ANNOUNCEMENT OF FEDERAL AGENCY SPON7 SORSHIP OF PREPACKAGED NEWS STORY. 

8 ‘‘(a) DISCLAIMER REQUIRED.—Any prepackaged 

9 news story produced by or on behalf of a Federal agency 

10 that is broadcast or distributed by a network organization, 

11 broadcast licensee or permittee, or multichannel video pro12 gramming distributor in the United States shall contain 

13 an announcement supplied by the Federal agency within 

14 the prepackaged news story that conspicuously identifies 

15 the United States Government as the source for the pre16 packaged news story. 

17 ‘‘(b) PRESENTATION.—The announcement required 

18 under subsection (a) shall be broadcast or distributed so 

19 as— 

20 ‘‘(1) to promote consistency with the announce21 ment requirements required under sections 317 and 

22 507; 

23 ‘‘(2) in the case of television and other video 

24 programming— 

25 ‘‘(A) to be visible for the entire duration of 

26 the prepackaged news story; and 
3 

•S 967 IS 

1 ‘‘(B) to include the conspicuous display of 

2 the statement ‘PRODUCED BY THE U.S. 

3 GOVERNMENT’; and 

4 ‘‘(3) in the case of radio and other audio pro5 gramming, to audibly inform the audience of the 

6 source of the prepackaged news story. 

7 ‘‘(c) REMOVAL OF DISCLAIMER PROHIBITED.—It is 

8 unlawful for any person to remove an announcement re9 quired by this section. 

10 ‘‘(d) FCC TO DETERMINE NATURE OF DIS11 CLAIMERS.—The Commission shall determine the exact 

12 design, presentation, and additional language, if any, re13 quired for the announcements described in subsection (a). 

14 ‘‘(e) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 

15 ‘‘(1) AGENCY.—The term ‘agency’ has the same 

16 meaning given such term in section 551 of title 5, 

17 United States Code, and includes the Executive Of18 fice of the President. 

19 ‘‘(2) MULTICHANNEL VIDEO PROGRAMMING

20 DISTRIBUTOR.—The term ‘multichannel video pro21 gramming distributor’ has the meaning given that 

22 term in section 602. 

23 ‘‘(3) NETWORK ORGANIZATION.— 
4 

•S 967 IS 

1 ‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—The Commission shall 

2 define the term ‘network organization’ for pur3 poses of this section. 

4 ‘‘(B) INCLUSION.—In defining ‘network or5 ganization’, the Commission shall include all en6 tities that may provide a prepackaged news 

7 story to a broadcast licensee. 

8 ‘‘(4) PREPACKAGED NEWS STORY.—The term 

9 ‘prepackaged news story’ means a complete, ready10 to-use audio or video news segment designed to be 

11 indistinguishable from a news segment produced by 

12 an independent news organization.’’. 

Æ