Stations Told to Identify Government Videos

Responding to criticism over government videos packaged as TV news reports, federal regulators reminded broadcasters of rules requiring them to identify the source of such material.

Tens of thousands of people have asked the Federal Communications Commission to investigate the failure of broadcasters to disclose the source of the government videos, Commissioner Michael J. Copps said.

The White House Office of National Drug Control Policy was criticized last year for a series of videos in which a narrator, sometimes identified as “Karen Ryan,” said she was “reporting” on the office’s activities. The Health and Human Services Department also produced video news releases narrated by “Karen Ryan.” Some stations aired the videos without identifying their government origins.