A great thing about human life is that it functions within a lot of room. This room allows us to shape our own unique path and grow in whichever way we deem fit. Now, even though having the said freedom does us immense service, it will be a lie if we say that humans have used it judiciously on every single occasion. In fact, a closer look should reveal how, at times, our use of it was outright unethical. As the said event has also been a recurring theme, we were always going to end up needing a proper solution against it. The world will find one when it sets up dedicated regulatory bodies throughout the spectrum. Having these watchdogs was such a game-changer because their presence was what brought a much-needed order into our fabric. However, the efficacy associated with them will diminish a little once technology takeover the scene. This power struggle between regulators and Big Tech companies would pave the way for major disruption, but fortunately, the storm is seemingly on its last leg now. With scrutiny over technology’s role at an all-time high, changes are turning up in huge numbers, and one more has now joined the pack.
Federal Communications Commission has officially announced a new set of rules, which mandate the broadcasters to disclose when foreign entities lease time on their airwaves. While these rules address an issue that has long been on the commission’s agenda, their introduction was notably sped up by the ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine. According to certain reports, all the broadcasters, from here onwards, will have to provide an on-air disclosure whenever parties like foreign government, foreign political party, agents acting on behalf of a foreign entity, or a US-based foreign media outlet buys a time slot on their airwaves. The directive is applicable to any new leasing agreement with immediate effect, whereas for the existing ones, it has put-forth a timeline of six months.
“In light of recent events, this effort — which is all about transparency — has taken on new importance,” FCC chair Jessica Rosenworcel said in a statement Tuesday. “It is essential that audiences know when a broadcast station has been compensated to air content coming from a foreign government.”
As media consumption rages on to a higher level every day, it has become important for the government to regulate what influence foreign entities are bringing into the country. Hence, FCC’s latest decision will look to help that pursuit big time.