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Law360 (April 9, 2020, 7:02 PM EDT ) To encourage people to avoid houses of worship during this month's religious holidays and to watch services from home, the FCC on Thursday made it easier for stations to replace children's programming with religious services and other local content.
The policy, which will be in effect through the end of April, aims to help stations air live and recorded events such as Easter services or Passover seders as a substitute for attending in person, the Federal Communications Commission said.
The FCC's Media Bureau issued the policy through a public notice that provides a temporary, limited waiver from so-called Kid Vid requirements. The waiver allows broadcasters to air same-day local community content in place of weekly, regularly scheduled children's programming without the requirement that it be rescheduled, the FCC said.
"Local broadcasters can make a unique contribution to our country in this difficult time," FCC Chairman Ajit Pai said in a statement Thursday. "On one hand, social distancing is a critical factor in enabling the mitigation of the spread of the coronavirus. On the other, we are in the midst of important holy days for so many Americans. By making it easier for local TV stations to broadcast religious services and rituals to the faithful in their homes, we can enable both social distancing and observance."
The FCC cast the short-term policy change as part of the agency's ongoing efforts to increase regulatory flexibility during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The bureau continues to require that stations inform viewers that children's programming has been preempted and encourages stations to reschedule any preempted children's programs and provide any rescheduling information that they can to viewers, the FCC said.
FCC Commissioner Michael O'Rielly lauded the bureau's move.
"This sort of common sense relief will allow stations to keep up their efforts to protect the health and safety of their local communities," he said in a statement Thursday. "Staying physically isolated over the coming days is an unfortunate, but critically important, choice that many will have to make, and now with the help of broadcasters, locally produced community events like religious services that are aired live or on the same day can qualify for Kid Vid preemptions."
"Children's programming is as important as ever during this period of mass isolation, but this limited waiver could help stations serve their communities in a way that may truly save lives," O'Rielly added.
Pai thanked radio and television broadcasters for efforts on COVID-19 that include running public service announcements on social distancing, airing educational programming to help with distance learning, expanding COVID-19 reporting and holding fundraisers to help people who have faced financial hardship due to the virus.
According to the FCC, he has also asked broadcasters to work with cable and satellite operators to avoid service disruptions during the pandemic.
--Additional reporting by Kelcee Griffis. Editing by Stephen Berg.
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