WASHINGTON - Satellite television providers such as DirecTV and the Dish Network will have to follow the same rules for political and children's advertising as over-the-air broadcasters and cable TV operators under regulations announced Thursday.
The rules issued by the Federal Communications Commission (news - web sites) require satellite operators to allow political candidates to buy advertising time on their systems and to sell it to them at the lowest rates they offer to commercial customers. Like cable systems, satellite operators have commercial time on the networks they carry that they can sell.
Michael Perko, an official with the FCC (news - web sites)'s media bureau, said the commission acted now because of the increase in satellite. The FCC reported in January that 23.7 million Americans get television through a satellite service, 22 percent of all households that pay for television. Cable, with 70.5 million households, has 75 percent of the market.
The FCC also limited the amount of commercial time on children's programs to 12 minutes per hour during the week and 10 1/2 minutes per hour on weekends, the same restrictions on broadcast and cable.
"Most children and parents do not realize that choosing satellite television could mean their children are not protected from more aggressive and inappropriate advertising," said Cheryl Leanza, deputy director of the Media Access Project, a public interest law firm. "All media should be on a level playing field, and all children should be protected, no matter how their programming is delivered to their homes."
The rules issued by the Federal Communications Commission (news - web sites) require satellite operators to allow political candidates to buy advertising time on their systems and to sell it to them at the lowest rates they offer to commercial customers. Like cable systems, satellite operators have commercial time on the networks they carry that they can sell.
Michael Perko, an official with the FCC (news - web sites)'s media bureau, said the commission acted now because of the increase in satellite. The FCC reported in January that 23.7 million Americans get television through a satellite service, 22 percent of all households that pay for television. Cable, with 70.5 million households, has 75 percent of the market.
The FCC also limited the amount of commercial time on children's programs to 12 minutes per hour during the week and 10 1/2 minutes per hour on weekends, the same restrictions on broadcast and cable.
"Most children and parents do not realize that choosing satellite television could mean their children are not protected from more aggressive and inappropriate advertising," said Cheryl Leanza, deputy director of the Media Access Project, a public interest law firm. "All media should be on a level playing field, and all children should be protected, no matter how their programming is delivered to their homes."
