In accordance with Federal regulations, Radio Free Hub City is a news media organization, and all video recording and live streaming is considered part of our news gathering activities. Relevant sections of Federal regulations are reproduced below, which outline our exemption for permits and permit fees for National Parks.
Note that due to limited filming and streaming times and availability of crew, as well as the limited hours of associated visitor centers where permits can be issued, obtaining permits for filming our news-gathering activities would interfere with our ability to gather news.
Additionally, it’s important to note that permit requirements apply to Commercial filming which means the film, electronic, magnetic, digital, or other recording of a moving image by a person, business, or other entity for a market audience with the intent of generating income. Live streaming or broadcasting live images is not the same as recording, and therefore permits are not required for this activity.
43 CFR – PART 5 – COMMERCIAL FILMING AND SIMILAR PROJECTS AND STILL PHOTOGRAPHY ON CERTAIN AREAS UNDER DEPARTMENT JURISDICTION
§ 5.4 When is a permit required for news-gathering activities?
(a) Permit requirements. News-gathering activities involving filming, videography, or still photography do not require a permit unless:
(1) We determine a permit is necessary to protect natural and cultural resources, to avoid visitor use conflicts, to ensure public safety or authorize entrance into a closed area; and
(2) Obtaining a permit will not interfere with the ability to gather the news.
(b) Terms and conditions. All permits issued under this section will include only terms and conditions necessary to maintain order, ensure the safety of the public and the media, and protect natural and cultural resources.
(c) Exemptions. A permit issued for news-gathering activities is not subject to location fees or cost recovery charges.
§ 5.12 How are terms defined in this subpart?
Commercial filming means the film, electronic, magnetic, digital, or other recording of a moving image by a person, business, or other entity for a market audience with the intent of generating income. Examples include, but are not limited to, feature film, videography, television broadcast, or documentary, or other similar projects. Commercial filming activities may include the advertisement of a product or service, or the use of actors, models, sets, or props.
News means information that is about current events or that would be of current interest to the public, gathered by news-media entities for dissemination to the public. Examples of news-media entities include, but are not limited to, television or radio stations broadcasting to the general public and publishers of periodicals (but only if such entities qualify as disseminators of “news”) who make their products available for purchase by or subscription by or free distribution to the general public.
(1) As methods of news delivery evolve (for example, the adoption of the electronic dissemination of newspapers through telecommunications services), these alternative media will be considered to be news-media entities.
(2) A freelance journalist is regarded as working for a news-media entity if the journalist can demonstrate a solid basis for expecting publication through that entity, even if the journalist is not actually employed by the entity. A contract would present a solid basis for such an expectation; we may also consider the past publication record of the requester in making such a determination.
News-gathering activities means filming, videography, and still photography activities carried out by a representative of the news media.
Representative of the news media means any person or entity that gathers information of potential interest to a segment of the public, uses its editorial skills to turn the raw materials into a distinct work, and distributes that work to an audience.
Radio Free Hub City 