After 16 Years, FCC Lifts TV Filing Freeze

By |2020-10-30T13:10:05-05:00October 30th, 2020|Legal News|

The Federal Communications Commission’s (“FCC”) Media Bureau announced via Public Notice the end of a filing freeze on certain full power and Class A TV station modifications that lasted more than 16 years and the leadership of seven FCC chairpersons. The freeze was part of the FCC’s effort to keep a stable technical database first...… Continue Reading

Final Deadlines Established for FCC Repack Reimbursement

By |2020-10-07T14:57:34-05:00October 7th, 2020|Legal News|

Attention all repacked television broadcast stations (and eligible LPTV and FM stations): the Federal Communications Commission (“FCC” or the “Commission”) has established final deadlines for submission of all reimbursement expenses invoices and documentation. The Commission also reminds stations to finish up and close-out, or money might be left on the table.The FCC’s Incentive Auction Task Force...… Continue Reading

US Supreme Court to Review FCC Media Ownership Rules

By |2020-10-02T12:07:07-05:00October 2nd, 2020|Legal News|

Today the U.S. Supreme Court agreed to review the appeal issue of the Third Circuit’s reversal of the Federal Communication Commission’s (“FCC”) relaxed media ownership rules.  The Third Circuit Court of Appeals in Philadelphia last year again rejected the FCC’s most recent efforts to relax the media ownership rules which sought to eliminate a ban...… Continue Reading

US Supreme Court to Review FCC Media Ownership Rules

By |2020-10-02T12:07:07-05:00October 2nd, 2020|Legal News|

Today the U.S. Supreme Court agreed to review the appeal issue of the Third Circuit’s reversal of the Federal Communication Commission’s (“FCC”) relaxed media ownership rules.  The Third Circuit Court of Appeals in Philadelphia last year again rejected the FCC’s most recent efforts to relax the media ownership rules which sought to eliminate a ban...… Continue Reading

Comment Deadlines Set for ATSC 3.0 Implementation Proposal

By |2020-07-17T10:59:36-05:00July 17th, 2020|Legal News|

On June 9, we wrote that the Federal Communications Commission (“FCC”) has tried to remove a potential barrier to the deployment of the ATSC 3.0 technical standard by TV broadcasters by ruling that a broadcaster’s lease of spectrum to a third party for provision of ancillary, non-broadcast services does not trigger attribution for the FCC’s...… Continue Reading

FCC Revises Cable TV Leased Access Rate Formula and Appears to Invite a First Amendment Challenge

By |2020-07-16T14:26:52-05:00July 16th, 2020|Legal News|

In an Order adopted today, the Federal Communications Commission (“FCC” or the “Commission”) revised the calculation of maximum permissible rates for cable TV commercial leased access by changing from a formula that sets a uniform rate for all cable tiers to a formula that will set a separate rate for each tier. The result may...… Continue Reading

TV Stations and MVPDs Must Upload Contact Information by July 31st

By |2020-06-30T11:03:17-05:00June 30th, 2020|Legal News|

As we head into Summer, it’s important for TV broadcasters to remember the upcoming deadlines this Fall associated with notifying multichannel video program distributors (“MVPDs”) – primarily cable TV and direct broadcast satellite operators – of the station’s election of either must-carry or retransmission consent carriage status on the MVPD systems.   Two critical deadlines are...… Continue Reading

The FCC Releases Reconsideration of Procedures for Conversion from ATSC 1.0 to 3.0

By |2020-06-19T15:35:49-05:00June 19th, 2020|Legal News|

The Federal Communications Commission (“FCC”) has issued a Second Report and Order and Order on Reconsideration, largely leaving intact the rules it adopted in 2017 authorizing television broadcast stations to implement the ATSC 3.0 technical standard, now known as “NextGen” TV. Full Power and Class A TV stations converting to NextGen must continue to simulcast...… Continue Reading

“Sweeps” Are Under the Rug: FCC Seeks Comment on New Metrics to Establish Significant Viewership

By |2020-04-20T08:30:36-05:00April 20th, 2020|Legal News|

The Federal Communications Commission (“FCC”) has invited comments on it’s Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (“NPRM”) on whether it should update its rules that determine whether a television broadcast station is “significantly viewed” in communities outside of its Designated Market area (“DMA”) for purposes of carriage on Multichannel Video Program Distribution (“MVPD”) systems, both cable and...… Continue Reading

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