CLEMENT COSPONSORS RELIGIOUS BROADCASTING FREEDOM ACT
Legislation Would Protect Free Speech On Non-Commercial Educational Television Stations

January 28, 2000

Washington - Tennessee Congressman Bob Clement, in an effort to protect free speech for all Americans, today joined over 50 of his House colleagues in cosponsoring the Religious Broadcasting Freedom Act.

"I have heard from a number of Tennessee residents and broadcasters who are very concerned about the recent decision made by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) that would affect programming on non-commercial educational television stations," said Clement. "What the FCC has essentially done is dictate what programming does and does not count as educational. This is clearly an instance of the government restricting religious speech in America."

Last month, without the benefit of public comment or congressional input, the FCC issued an order that will force some religious television broadcasters to alter their programming or risk losing their licenses. The order involved a television license transfer between a commercial station and a noncommercial educational station in the Pittsburgh area. The FCC approved the license transfer with the pre-condition that, "religious exhortation, proselytizing or statements of personally held religious views and beliefs generally would not qualify as 'general educational' programming" for the purposes of qualifying for a noncommercial license. On these stations, more than half of the overall weekly program schedule must serve "an educational, instructional or cultural purpose in the station's community of license." The proposed legislation would reverse this FCC order.

"We must protect First Amendment free speech over the airwaves for everyone," Clement said. "These are the principles and ideals on which this great nation was founded over 200 years ago. For the FCC to dictate what is and isn't educational programming on these non-commercial stations is just plain wrong. I intend to join my colleagues in fighting this ruling."