8.01-49 - Defamatory statements in radio and television broadcasts. - Virginia Statutes

§ 8.01-49. Defamatory statements in radio and television broadcasts.

The owner, licensee or operator of a radio and television broadcastingstation or network of stations, and the agents or employees of any suchowner, licensee or operator, shall not be liable for any damages for anydefamatory statement published or uttered in or as a part of any suchbroadcast, by one other than such owner, licensee or operator, or agent oremployee thereof, unless it shall be alleged and proved by the complainingparty, that such owner, licensee, operator, such agent or employee, failed toexercise due care to prevent the publication or utterance of such statementin such broadcast; provided, however, that in no event shall any owner,licensee or operator, or the agents or employees of any such owner, licenseeor operator of such a station or network of stations be held liable fordamages for any defamatory statement broadcast over the facilities of suchstation or network by or on behalf of any candidate for public office.

(Code 1950, § 8-632.1; 1977, c. 617.)