Senate Commerce Approves "Prepackaged News Story Announcement Act"

The U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation on Thursday reported by unanimous consent S. 967, the “Prepackaged News Story Announcement Act of 2005,” introduced by Senators Frank Lautenberg (D-N.J.) and John Kerry (D-Mass.). The legislation requires that all prepackaged, government-produced news stories - which are designed to be indistinguishable from those created by independent news organizations - include disclaimers notifying the audience that the government produced or funded the news segment. The Committee unanimously approved a substitute amendment, negotiated by Senators Lautenberg, Kerry and Committee Chairman Ted Stevens, that includes the following provisions: 1) Establishes that prepackaged news stories produced by the government must include a clear notification to the audience that the United States Government prepared or funded the segment. 2) Defines “prepackaged news story” as a complete, ready-to-use audio or video news segment designed to be indistinguishable from those produced by an independent news organization. 3) Instructs the FCC to determine the circumstances under which the disclaimer may be removed or modified. 4) Clarifies that the bill’s provisions do not apply to the government’s authorized, legal intelligence activities. The bill now moves to the full Senate for its consideration.
[SOURCE: Senate Commerce Commission press release]
http://commerce.senate.gov/newsroom/printable.cfm?id=247487

* Text of bill:
http://commerce.senate.gov/pdf/s967asrptd.pdf

* VNR Labeling Bill Amended
The Senate Commerce Committee has unanimously passed a bill that would require the government to clearly identify any packaged video news releases it issues, but not require that the ID air throughout the entirety of the piece. The original bill had been tougher. Proposed by Senators Frank Lautenberg (D-N.J.) and John Kerry (D-Mass.), it would have mandated that the government put a label, "Produced By the U.S. Government" (the FCC could tweak the language and format as it saw fit) on all packaged video news releases, and that the label air during the entirety of the VNR.
[SOURCE: Broadcasting&Cable, AUTHOR: John Eggerton]
http://www.broadcastingcable.com/article/CA6276566?display=Breaking+News...
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