CRS-31

HOUSE COMMITTEE RULES FOR THE 93RD CONGRESS
REGARDING BROADCAST OF HEARINGS

RULE

15.

(4) Television cameras shall be placed so as not to
obstruct in any way the space between any witness giving
evidence or testimony and any member of the committee or
the visibility of that witness and that member to each
other.

(5) Television cameras shall not be placed in positions
which obstruct unnecessarily the coverage of the hearing
by the other media.

(6) Equipment necessary for coverage by the television
and radio media shall not be installed in, or removed from, the
hearing room while the committee is in session.

(7) Floodlights, spotlights, strobelights, and flashguns
shall not be used in providing any method of coverage of the
hearing, except that the television media may install
additional lighting in the hearing room, without cost to
the Government, in order to raise the ambient lighting level
in the hearing room to the lowest level necessary to provide
adequate television coverage of the hearing at the then
current state of the art of television coverage.

(8) Not more than five press photographers shall be permitted
to cover a hearing by still photography. In the selection of
these photographers, preference shall be given to photographers
from Associated Press Photos and United Press International
Newspictures. If request is made by more than five of the
media for coverage of the hearing by still photography, that
coverage shall be made on the basis of a fair and equitable
pool arrangement devised by the Standing Committee of Press
Photographers.

(9) Photographers shall not position themselves, at any time during the course of the hearing, between the witness

CRS-32

HOUSE COMMITTEE RULES FOR THE 93RD CONGRESS
REGARDING BROADCAST OF HEARINGS

RULE

10.

table and the members of the committee or subcommittee. (10) Photographers shall not place themselves

in positions which obstruct unnecessarily the coverage
of the hearing by the other media.

(11) Personnel providing coverage by the tele-
vision and radio media shall be then currently
accredited to the Radio and Television Correspondents
Galleries.

(12) Personnel providing coverage by still
photography shall be then currently accredited to the
Press Photographers' Gallery.

(13) Personnel providing coverage by the television
and radio media and by still photography shall conduct
themselves and their coverage activities in an orderly
and unobtrusive manner.

(14) Each hearing covered by the communications
media aforesaid shall be conducted in accordance
with such standards of dignity, propriety, courtesy,
and decorum as are consistent with the purposes, pro-
visions, and requirements of House rule XI, clause 33.
The chairman of the committee or subcommittee may
enforce the observance of such standards by censure,
exclusion from the hearing, and termination of coverage
by the communications media in whole or in part.

PROCEDURE

(c) If any hearing or other proceeding of the committee or any subcommittee thereof is called to take testimony and receive evidence and is open to the public, the chairman of the committee may permit that hearing to be covered by television, radio, and still photography (or by any one or combination of such modes of coverage) subject to the following conditions:

CRS-33

HOUSE COMMITTEE RULES FOR THE 93RD CONGRESS
REGARDING BROADCAST OF HEARINGS

RULE

17.

(A) if the television or radio coverage of the
hearing is to be presented to the public as live
coverage, that coverage shall be conducted and pre-
sented without commercial sponsorship;

(B) no witness served with a subpena by the
committee or any subcommittee thereof shall be
required against his will to be photographed at any
hearing or to give evidence or testimony while the
broadcasting of that hearing, by radio or television,
is being conducted. At the request of any such
witness who does not wish to be subjected to radio,
television, or still photography coverage, all lenses
shall be covered and all microphones used for coverage
turned off;

(C) not more than four television cameras, oper-
ating from fixed positions, shall be permitted in a
hearing room;

(D) television cameras shall be placed so as not
to obstruct in any way the space between any witness
giving evidence or testimony and any member of the
committee or the visibility of that witness and that
member to each other;

(E) television cameras shall not be placed in
positions which obstruct unnecessarily the coverage
of the hearing by the other media;

(F) equipment necessary for coverage by the
television and radio media shall not be installed in,
or removed from, the hearing room while the committee
or subcommittee, as the case may be, is in session;

CRS-34

HOUSE COMMITTEE RULES FOR THE 93RD CONGRESS
REGARDING BROADCAST OF HEARINGS

18.

RULE

(G) floodlights, spotlights, strobelights, and
flashguns shall not be used in providing any method
of coverage of the hearing, except that the tele-
vision media may install additional lighting in
the hearing room to the lowest level necessary
to provide adequate television coverage of the
hearing at the then current state of the art of tele-
vision coverage;

(H) not more than five press photographers shall
be permitted to cover a hearing by still photography;
(1) photographers shall not position themselves
at any time during the course of the hearing, between
the witness table and any member of the committee;

(J) photographers shall not place themselves in
positions which obstruct unnecessarily the coverage
of the hearing by the other media;

(K) personnel providing coverage by the tele-
vision and radio media shall be then currently
accredited to the Radio and Television Correspondents
Galleries;

(L) personnel providing coverage by still photo-
graphy shall be then currently accredited to the Press
Photographers' Gallery;

(M) personnel providing coverage by the television
and radio media and by still photography shall conduct
themselves and their coverage activities in an orderly
and unobtrusive manner.

(d) The coverage of any hearing or other proceeding
of the committee or any subcommittee thereof by tele-
vision, radio, or still photography shall be under the
direct supervision of the chairman of the committee,

CRS-35

HOUSE COMMITTEE RULES FOR THE 93RD CONGRESS
REGARDING BROADCAST OF HEARINGS

RULE

19.

subcommittee chairman, or other member of the committee
presiding at such hearing or other proceeding and,
for good cause, may be terminated by him.

(amended 6-19-73)

RULE VI.

BROADCASTING OF HEARINGS

Subcommittees may authorize the broadcasting or
photographing of any of their public hearings without
the specific permission of the Committee.

RULE 111. COMMITTEE PROCEDURE

H. The Committee, by majority vote, may permit any
of its public hearings to be televised, broadcast by
radio, or photographed subject to the following require-

ments:

(1) Live television and radio coverage will be
conducted and presented without commercial sponsor-
ship.

(2) No witness served with a subpoena by the
Committee shall be required against his will to
be photographed at any hearing or give evidence
or testimony while the broadcasting or taping of
that hearing is being conducted. At the request
of any such witness who does not wish to be sub-
jected to radio, television, or photography, the
Chairman shall direct that all lenses be covered
and that all microphones or other recording equip-
ment used for such coverage be turned off and
disconnected.