![[J.C. Header]](H_Watts_012400_files/j.c.header.gif) | |
|
| |
| | |
|
| |
| For Immediate Release January 24, 2000 |
Contact: Bill Shapard |
|
Washington, D.C.- U.S. Rep. J.C. Watts, Jr. (R-Okla.) joined more than 50 other members in introducing the Religious Broadcasting Freedom Act, a bill to reverse actions taken by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) in December to limit religious speech in broadcasting. "I never imagined that one day we would have to propose legislation to protect the most fundamental rights of religious broadcasters," Watts said. "But, our current administration seems bent on challenging these rights through regulations such as these." The issue arose when the FCC approved a television license swap in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, on December 15 and made its order public on December 29, 1999. In FCC order #99-393, the FCC instructed, for the first time, that traditional religious programming could no longer be counted as "educational." The bill would nullify this proposed FCC "guidance" and would require the FCC to use its normal rulemaking procedures, which include taking public comment if it chooses to regulate this area in the future. Non-commercial television licenses are intended to serve the educational and cultural needs of smaller audiences and under-represented populations. General education programming had previously been defined as having its primary purpose be to meet "educational, instructional or cultural needs of the community." "I think it’s pretty hard to say that Sunday School at your local church is NOT educational," Watts said.
| |