N.Y. Civil Rights Law § 52: Televising, broadcasting or taking motion pictures of certain proceedings prohibited

§ 52. Televising, broadcasting or taking motion pictures of certain

proceedings prohibited. No person, firm, association or corporation

shall televise, broadcast, take motion pictures or arrange for the

televising, broadcasting, or taking of motion pictures within this state

of proceedings, in which the testimony of witnesses by subpoena or other

compulsory process is or may be taken, conducted by a court, commission,

committee, administrative agency or other tribunal in this state; except

that the prohibition contained in this section shall not apply to public

hearings conducted by the public service commission with regard to rates

charged by utilities, or to proceedings by either house of the state

legislature or committee or joint committee of the legislature or by a

temporary state commission which includes members of the legislature, so

long as any testimony of witnesses which is taken is taken without

resort to subpoena or other compulsory process, if (1) the consent of

the temporary president of the senate or the speaker of the assembly, in

the case of the respective houses of the state legislature, or the

chairman, in the case of such a committee or commission, and a majority

of the members thereof present at such proceedings, shall have been

first obtained, provided, however, that in the case of the public rate

hearings of the public service commission, it shall be sufficient to

obtain the consent of the presiding officer, (2) the written consent of

the witness testifying at the time shall have been obtained, prior to

the time of his testifying, and (3) it has been determined by such

presiding officer or chairman and such majority of the members that it

is in the public interest to permit the televising, broadcasting or

taking of motion pictures.

Any violation of this section shall be a misdemeanor.