Direct Broadcasting by Satellite: A Domestic and International Legal Controversy

The United Nations is now considering two proposals to limit direct station-to-station television broadcasting via satellite. The Soviet proposal, which seems to be the more popular, would impose strict requirements on the broadcasting country to control the content of satellite broadcasts. The United States proposal calls for a system of co-operation consistent with its First Amendment. The author analyzes these positions, discussing the effect that adoption of the Soviet proposal would have on international law, and whether the United States would be constitutionally prohibited from adhering to it