Chapter 29 - Libel And Slander
CHAPTER 29 - LIBEL AND SLANDER
1-29-101. Radio and television stations; liability generally.
Theowner, licensee or operator of a visual or sound broadcasting station ornetwork of stations, and the agents or employees of the owner, licensee oroperator are not liable for damages for any defamatory statement published oruttered in a visual or sound broadcast by one other than the owner, licensee,or operator, or agent or employee thereof, unless the complaining party provesthat the owner, licensee, operator, agent or employee failed to exercise duecare to prevent the publication or utterance of such statement in thebroadcast.
1-29-102. Radio and television stations; liability for statements madeby political candidates.
Anowner, licensee or operator or the agents or employees of any owner, licenseeor operator of a visual or sound broadcasting station is not liable for anydamages for any defamatory statement uttered over the facilities of the stationby any candidate for public office.
1-29-103. Limitation as to damages.
Inan action for damages for any defamatory statement published or uttered in oras a part of a visual or sound broadcast, the complaining party shall beallowed only the actual damages he has alleged and proved.
1-29-104. Publication of proceedings of governing bodies deemedprivileged; exception.
Thepublication of a fair and impartial report of the proceedings before state ormunicipal legislative bodies, or before state or municipal executive bodies,boards or officers, or the whole or a fair synopsis of any document presented,filed or issued in any proceeding before a legislative or executive body, boardor officer, is privileged unless it is proved that the publication was mademaliciously.
1-29-105. Publication of criminal and civil proceedings deemedprivileged; exceptions.
Thepublication of a fair and impartial report of any indictment, the issuing ofany warrant, the arrest of any person accused of crime, or the filing of anypleading or other document in any criminal or civil cause in any court, or ofthe contents thereof, is privileged unless it is proved that the same waspublished maliciously or that the defendant has refused or neglected to publishin the same manner in which the publication complained of appeared a reasonablewritten explanation or contradiction thereof by the plaintiff, or that thepublisher has refused upon plaintiff's request to publish the subsequentdetermination of the suit or action.
1-29-106. Publication of indecent matter prohibited.
Nothingin W.S. 1-29-104 or 1-29-105 shall authorize the publication of blasphemous orindecent matter.