Title 47, Telegraphs, Telephones, and RadiotelegraphsRelease 119-102
§558 Criminal and Civil Liability
Title 47 › CHAPTER 5 — WIRE OR RADIO COMMUNICATION › SUBCHAPTER V–A — CABLE COMMUNICATIONS › Part IV — Miscellaneous Provisions › § 558
Summary
Cable programmers and operators face federal, state, or local criminal or civil laws, but operators aren’t liable for programs on public/PEG or section 532 channels unless the program is obscene.
Full Legal Text
Title 47, §558
Telegraphs, Telephones, and Radiotelegraphs, Source: USLM XML via OLRC
Nothing in this subchapter shall be deemed to affect the criminal or civil liability of cable programmers or cable operators pursuant to the Federal, State, or local law of libel, slander, obscenity, incitement, invasions of privacy, false or misleading advertising, or other similar laws, except that cable operators shall not incur any such liability for any program carried on any channel designated for public, educational, governmental use or on any other channel obtained under section 532 of this title or under similar arrangements unless the program involves obscene material.
Legislative History
Notes & Related Subsidiaries
Editorial Notes
Amendments
1992—Pub. L. 102–385 inserted before period at end “unless the program involves obscene material”.
Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries
Effective Date
of 1992 AmendmentAmendment by Pub. L. 102–385 effective 60 days after Oct. 5, 1992, see section 28 of Pub. L. 102–385, set out as a note under section 325 of this title.
Effective Date
Section effective 60 days after Oct. 30, 1984, except where otherwise expressly provided, see section 9(a) of Pub. L. 98–549, set out as a note under section 521 of this title.
Reference
Citations & Metadata
Citation
47 U.S.C. § 558
Title 47, Telegraphs, Telephones, and Radiotelegraphs
Last Updated
Aug 21, 2026
Release point: 119-102