WASHINGTON, D.C. — The Media Bureau of the FCC on Friday shared its new compliance date for revised sponsorship identification requirements for foreign government-provided programming from a Second Report & Order linked to MB Docket No. 20-299.
On June 10, 2024, the Commission released rule modifications to the sponsorship identification requirements for foreign government-provided programming, which require a public disclosure to be made, at the time of broadcast, identifying the foreign source of such programming — the “Second Report and Order.”
This adopted a revised approach that provides radio and television broadcast licensees with two options for demonstrating that they have met their duty of inquiry in seeking to obtain the information needed to determine whether programming is sponsored, paid for, or furnished by a foreign governmental entity. In addition, the Second Report and Order specified the types of programming encompassed by the foreign sponsorship identification rules and clarified the obligations of section 325(c) permittees under the rules.
In a previous Public Notice, the Media Bureau announced that a summary of the Second Report and Order was published in the Federal Register on July 16, 2024. The rule modifications to 47 CFR § 73.1212 that involved the addition of paragraph (j)(8) and the revision of paragraph (k) became effective on August 15, 2024.
The Public Notice also indicated that the Bureau would publish a subsequent Public Notice announcing the compliance date for modifications to 47 CFR § 73.1212(j)(3) adopted in the Second Report and Order, which required review and approval by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) pursuant to the Paperwork Reduction Act.
In a June 10, 2025 Public Notice, the Bureau announced that OMB approved the rule modifications which revise requirements under 47 CFR § 73.1212(j)(3).
Accordingly, these revised requirements became effective as of June 10. However, the Bureau deferred requiring compliance with the revised rules under 47 CFR § 73.1212(j)(3) for 6 months, or until December 8, 2025.
With this Public Notice, the Bureau further defers requiring compliance with the revised rules until 6 months after Monday — or June 7, 2026.
Only new leases and renewals of existing leases entered into on or after the compliance date must comply with the rule modifications.
— RBR+TVBR Washington Bureau
