View all text of Part 705 [§ 705.1 - § 705.37]

§ 705.7 - Radio and television.

(a) Navy relationships with radio and TV representatives are of two types:

(1) Dissemination to them of Navy produced tapes, photos, films, etc. (This is discussed in more detail in § 705.17).

(2) Cooperation with them when they produce a program on a Navy subject. This is discussed in the paragraph following:

(b) Requirement for approval by higher authority.

(1) Commanding officers may:

(i) Release audiovisual material which is spot news, as defined in § 705.6(a)(2)(ii) preceding, or is of purely local interest.

(ii) Participate in local community audiovisual projects of benefit to the Department of Defense or in the national interest.

(iii) Approve one-time, one-station participation by personnel of their commands (as individuals) in programs of purely local interest.

(2) All other audiovisual material originated by the Department of the Navy or requiring Navy cooperation must be approved by the Chief of Information, who will effect the necessary coordination and/or approval of the Assistant Secretary of Defense (Public Affairs).

(i) Requests for assistance from non-governmental audiovisual media will be forwarded, with the maximum available details and an evaluation of the request, through the chain of command to the Chief of Information.

(ii) No direct coordination or contact between local naval commands and the Assistant Secretary of Defense (PA) is authorized unless specifically provided for by separate directives or correspondence.

(c) Navy cooperation in productions by audiovisual media representatives (nongovernment).

(1) The production or project must:

(i) Be consistent with the goals and aims of the Department of Defense and/or be in the national interest.

(ii) Portray military operation, historical incidents, persons and places, in such a manner as to give a true portrayal and interpretation of military life.

(iii) Comply with accepted standards of dignity and propriety in the industry.

(2) There will be no deviation from established safety standards.

(3) Operational readiness shall not be impaired.

(4) Official activities of military personnel assisting the production must be within the scope of normal military activities. Exceptions to this policy will be made only in unusual circumstances.

(5) Diversion of ships, equipment, personnel and material resources from normal military locations or military operations will not normally be authorized for filming. Exceptions to such policy must be authorized by the Assistant Secretary of Defense (Public Affairs), through the Chief of Information.

(i) The production company concerned must reimburse the government for any extra expense involved. A strict accounting of the additional expenses incurred and charged to the production company must be maintained by the designated project officer. A copy of this accounting will be forwarded to the Chief of Information.

(ii) [Reserved]

(6) Naval material and personnel will not be employed in such a manner as to compete with commercial and private enterprise. In this regard, any person or agency requesting their use will furnish a noncompetitive certification.

(7) Additional details on procedures will be found in DOD Instruction 5410.16.

(8) In addition to cooperation requested by the media, commands will be alert to the advantages of providing Navy programming and/or encouraging participation by Navy personnel in local radio and TV programming. Examples are community forums, local talent shows, educational and religious programs, children's shows, sports programs, etc.

(d) Participation by individual Navy personnel on radio or TV programs:

(1) In general, such participation is encouraged if it is:

(i) Dignified and considered in the interests of the Navy.

(ii) Compatible with operational commitments.

(iii) Not in competition with the regular employment of professional performers.

(2) The public affairs officer will screen requests for such appearances for members of his command to see that the programs are in good taste, and that neither the Navy nor its personnel are exposed to embarrassment for the sake of entertainment.

(3) Approval of participation by Navy individuals:

(i) Approval is not required for personnel attending audience participation broadcasts if they are selected at random from the audience.

(ii) One-time, one-station participation of purely local interest may be approved by the officer in command concerned.

(iii) If participation will be on a network (defined as more than one station, even if local) of if the same person or program is requested by two or more unrelated stations, approval by the Chief of Information must be obtained even if the show is of local interest only.

(e) Use of official footage:

(1) Use of official U.S. Navy stock film footage on TV broadcasts is not authorized without approval and clearance by the Chief of Information and the Department of Defense.

(2) Use of Navy public information motion pictures cleared for TV is authorized and encouraged except that such films may be used on subscription or pay TV only when offered to the viewers at no cost.

(3) Navy films will not be cut or portions duplicated for TV use in lieu of stock footage without prior approval by the Chief of Information.

(f) Music clearance. The Navy assumes no responsibility for clearance of music used on Navy recordings, transcriptions, or films not specially produced or authorized for radio or TV broadcast.

(g) Disclaimers. A disclaimer is not necessary if a product is advertised on a program in which the Navy participates, but there must be no stated or implied endorsement of it by the Navy or by naval personnel appearing on the program.

(h) Requests for courtesy prints of commercial television programs:

(1) Requests will not be made directly to the producer or network concerned, but will be forwarded to the Chief of Information by the Navy requester.

(2) These courtesy prints will be exhibited only under circumstances which cannot be construed as competitive with commercial ventures.