---
kind: "section"
citation: "47 U.S.C. § 508"
title: "47"
title_heading: "Telecommunications"
number: "508"
heading: "Disclosure of payments to individuals connected with broadcasts"
release: "119-102"
date: "2026-07-12"
url: "https://uscodex.org/usc/47/508"
units:
  - "Chapter 5 — Wire or Radio Communication"
  - "Subchapter V — Penal Provisions; Forfeitures"
---

# §508. Disclosure of payments to individuals connected with broadcasts

- (a) **Payments to station employees—** Subject to [subsection (d)](#d), any employee of a [radio station](/usc/47/153.md?p=42) who accepts or agrees to accept from any [person](/usc/47/153.md?p=39) (other than such [station](/usc/47/153.md?p=42)), or any [person](/usc/47/153.md?p=39) (other than such [station](/usc/47/153.md?p=42)) who pays or agrees to pay such employee, any money, service or other valuable consideration for the broadcast of any matter over such [station](/usc/47/153.md?p=42) shall, in advance of such broadcast, disclose the fact of such acceptance or agreement to such [station](/usc/47/153.md?p=42).
- (b) **Production or preparation of programs—** Subject to [subsection (d)](#d), any [person](/usc/47/153.md?p=39) who, in connection with the production or preparation of any program or program matter which is intended for [broadcasting](/usc/47/153.md?p=7) over any [radio station](/usc/47/153.md?p=42), accepts or agrees to accept, or pays or agrees to pay, any money, service or other valuable consideration for the inclusion of any matter as a part of such program or program matter, shall, in advance of such broadcast, disclose the fact of such acceptance or payment or agreement to the payee’s employer, or to the [person](/usc/47/153.md?p=39) for whom such program or program matter is being produced, or to the [licensee](/usc/47/153.md?p=30) of such [station](/usc/47/153.md?p=42) over which such program is broadcast.
- (c) **Supplying of program or program matter—** Subject to [subsection (d)](#d), any [person](/usc/47/153.md?p=39) who supplies to any other [person](/usc/47/153.md?p=39) any program or program matter which is intended for [broadcasting](/usc/47/153.md?p=7) over any [radio station](/usc/47/153.md?p=42) shall, in advance of such broadcast, disclose to such other [person](/usc/47/153.md?p=39) any information of which he has knowledge, or which has been disclosed to him, as to any money, service or other valuable consideration which any [person](/usc/47/153.md?p=39) has paid or accepted, or has agreed to pay or accept, for the inclusion of any matter as a part of such program or program matter.
- (d) **Waiver of announcements under section 317(d)—** The provisions of this section requiring the disclosure of information shall not apply in any case where, because of a waiver made by the Commission under [section 317(d) of this title](/usc/47/317.md?p=d), an announcement is not required to be made under [section 317 of this title](/usc/47/317.md).
- (e) **Announcement under section 317 as sufficient disclosure—** The inclusion in the program of the announcement required by [section 317 of this title](/usc/47/317.md) shall constitute the disclosure required by this section.
- (f) **“Service or other valuable consideration” defined—** The term “service or other valuable consideration” as used in this section shall not include any service or property furnished without charge or at a nominal charge for use on, or in connection with, a broadcast, or for use on a program which is intended for [broadcasting](/usc/47/153.md?p=7) over any [radio station](/usc/47/153.md?p=42), unless it is so furnished in consideration for an identification in such broadcast or in such program of any [person](/usc/47/153.md?p=39), product, service, trademark, or brand name beyond an identification which is reasonably related to the use of such service or property in such broadcast or such program.
- (g) **Penalties—** Any [person](/usc/47/153.md?p=39) who violates any provision of this section shall, for each such violation, be fined not more than $10,000 or imprisoned not more than one year, or both.

## Source credit

(June 19, 1934, ch. 652, title V, § 507, formerly § 508, as added Pub. L. 86–752, § 8(b), Sept. 13, 1960, 74 Stat. 896; renumbered § 507, Pub. L. 96–507, § 1, Dec. 8, 1980, 94 Stat. 2747.)

## Notes

### Editorial Notes

### Prior Provisions

A prior section 507 of act June 19, 1934, ch. 652, was renumbered section 506 by section 1 of Pub. L. 96–507, and is classified to section 507 of this title.