Washington, April 15, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- NRB, the nation’s pre-eminent association of Christian broadcasters and communicators, lauded the FCC’s recent decision to give flexibility to TV broadcasters for airing important community programming, including religious services.
The move was announced last week ahead of Passover, Good Friday, and Easter observances, and will apply through April 30. It provides a temporary, limited waiver to TV broadcasters to enable them to more easily air live and taped same-day local content, like religious services, during time slots regularly dedicated to children’s programming.
“NRB heartily applauds the FCC’s decision to temporarily suspend some of its television programming rules in order to facilitate religious broadcasts during this season of contagion,” said Craig Parshall, NRB’s General Counsel. “Equally important is the Commission’s recognition of the vital public interest served by faith-based broadcasting.”
In the FCC’s announcement, Chairman Ajit Pai noted the unique contribution that local broadcasters can make to the country in this difficult time. Earlier in the week, he also thanked radio and television broadcasters for their tireless efforts during the coronavirus outbreak, including running public service announcements on social distancing, airing educational programming to help with distance learning, expanding COVID-19 reporting, and holding fundraisers to help those who have faced financial hardship due to the virus.
About NRB
NRB is a nonpartisan, international association of Christian communicators whose member organizations represent millions of listeners, viewers, and readers. NRB’s mission is two-fold: To protect the free speech rights of our members to speak Biblical truth, by advocating those rights in governmental, corporate, and media sectors; and To foster excellence, integrity, and accountability in our membership by providing networking, educational, ministry, and relational opportunities. Learn more at www.nrb.org.
Craig Parshall, General Counsel NRB 202-543-0073 cparshall@nrb.org