A bill to clarify the obligations of broadcasters to legally qualified candidates for public office, and for other purposes.
Broadcasters' Protection Act of 1984 - Amends the Communications Act of 1934 to declare that provisions requiring a broadcast station licensee to provide equal opportunities for station access to political candidates and prohibiting the licensee from censoring a candidate's broadcast do not require the licensee to broadcast any material the broadcast of which the licensee believes would violate any criminal law. Provides that a licensee's refusal to broadcast material based on such belief shall be a defense to any revocation action by the Federal Communications Commission and shall not be used adversely against the licensee in a comparative licensing process.
Permits a broadcaster to petition any appropriate U.S. district court for a determination as to whether the broadcast of such material would violate a criminal law and for declaratory judgment relief. Allows a candidate whose broadcast is denied to petition the court for such a determination and for declaratory judgment relief with respect to such denial.
Referred to Subcommittee on Telecommunications, Consumer Protection and Finance.
Introduced in Senate
Read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce.
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