In no event, however, shall any owner, licensee or operator, or the agents or employees of any such owner, licensee or operator of such television and/or radio station or network of stations be held liable for any damages for any defamatory statement uttered over the facilities of such station or network by any candidate for public office, where such statement is not subject to censorship or control by reason of any federal statute or any ruling or order of the Federal Communications Commission made pursuant thereto; PROVIDED, HOWEVER, that this section shall not apply to any owner, licensee, or operator, or any agent or employee of such owner, licensee or operator, of such visual or sound radio broadcasting station, or network of stations, when such owner, licensee, or operator, or agent or employee of such owner, licensee or operator, is a candidate for public office or speaking on behalf of a candidate for public office.
§ 1447.2.Defamatory Statements By Candidates For Public Office
Chapter 25: Slander and Libel · Last amended June 6, 1957 · Last verified August 3, 2026
In one sentenceProtects a broadcaster from liability for a defamatory statement a political candidate makes on air when federal law or an FCC rule bars the station from censoring the remarks, but withdraws that protection when the station's own owner, licensee, or operator is the candidate or is speaking for one.
Full Text of § 1447.2
Amendment History
Laws 1957, HB 609, p. 83, § 2, emer. eff. 6/6/1957.
Plain-English Summary
This section builds on the broadcaster's shield in Section 1447.1 for a specific situation: political candidates speaking on the air. A station owner, licensee, or operator, and their agents and employees, aren't liable for a defamatory statement a candidate for public office makes over the station's facilities, as long as federal law or an FCC ruling bars the station from censoring or controlling what the candidate says.
The protection has one exception built in. It doesn't apply when the owner, licensee, or operator -- or an agent or employee of any of them -- is themselves a candidate for public office, or is speaking on behalf of a candidate.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can a station be sued if a political candidate says something false on air?
Not if federal law or an FCC ruling keeps the station from censoring the candidate's remarks -- Section 1447.2 shields the owner, licensee, operator, and their agents and employees in that situation.
Why can't the station just edit out the false statement?
The statute's protection is tied to situations where the statement is not subject to censorship or control by reason of federal statute or an FCC ruling or order.
Does this protection disappear if the station owner is running for office?
Yes. The statute carves out that exact situation -- it doesn't apply when the owner, licensee, operator, or their agent or employee is a candidate or is speaking on a candidate's behalf.
Source & verification. Section text is reproduced verbatim from
Title 12 of the Oklahoma Statutes, enacted by the Oklahoma Legislature.
Last verified August 3, 2026.
· Official source
Also known as: oklahoma candidate broadcast defamation immunitypolitical candidate radio tv liability oklahoma12 O.S. § 1447.2fcc equal time rule oklahoma libel