Sponsors of political and election-related advertising must be disclosed in the advertisements at the time of airing. The Legal Center has produced a detailed Campaign Media Guide that offers examples of sponsorship language. When federal candidates spend from their authorized campaign committees for so-called public communications, they must comply with FEC sponsorship identification requirements.

Public communications include:

• broadcast, cable or satellite communications;
• communications by means of newspaper, magazine, outdoor advertising facility, mass mailing or telephone bank to the general public;
• political committee internet websites accessible to the general public; and
• unsolicited e-mails of more than 500 substantially similar communications. (Internet advertisements are not included in the definition of public communications.)

Every public communication financed with candidate campaign funds must include a statement that the communication has been paid for by the candidate's authorized campaign committee. Certain other public communications paid for by other persons or groups but authorized by federal candidates must also include sponsorship information. This requirement applies to public communications that either:

• are financed by political committees registered with the FEC;
• expressly advocate the election or defeat of a clearly identified federal candidate;
• solicit federal campaign contributions; or
• are electioneering communications as defined in FEC regulations (i.e., broadcast, cable or satellite communications that: (i) refer to a clearly identified candidate for federal office; (ii) are aired within 60 days before the candidate's general election or 30 days before her primary election; and (iii) are targeted to the candidate's electorate).

No matter which advertising medium is used, the advertisement must state who paid for the communication and identify the candidate who authorized it . These statements must appear in a clear and conspicuous manner. If the placement is easily overlooked or the statement is difficult to read or hear, it will fail to meet the law's requirements. Statements in printed public communications, for example, must appear in sufficient type size to be clearly readable (e.g., 12-point type for signs and posters measuring no more than 24 by 36 inches), with a reasonable degree of color contrast from the background and in a printed box set apart from other contents of the communication.

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If the public communications described above appear on radio or television, they must also comply with additional sponsorship identification rules specified in FEC regulations.

Radio: The candidate must deliver an audio statement identifying himself and stating that he has approved the advertisement.

Television, cable, or satellite: The candidate must deliver a statement identifying herself and stating that she has approved the advertisement. The candidate must say the statement in a full-screen shot or in a voice-over accompanied by a clearly identified photographic or similar image of the candidate that occupies at least 80% of vertical screen height. A similar statement must also appear in writing at the end of the advertisement for a minimum of four seconds in letters at least 4% of vertical picture height and with a reasonable degree of color contrast from the background.

In addition, if the candidate's ads are broadcast at the broadcast station's lowest unit charge and make direct reference to another candidate for the same office, they must contain the following:

Radio: A personal audio statement by the candidate identifying the candidate and the office the candidate is seeking and indicating that the candidate has approved the broadcast.

Television: A clearly identifiable photographic or similar image of the candidate running the ad and a clearly readable printed statement identifying the candidate and stating both that the candidate has approved the broadcast and that the candidate's authorized committee has paid for it.

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Complaints against candidates for not including required statements in their public communications can be filed with the FEC.

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