David Oxenford, Author at Tennessee Association of Broadcasters

$100,000 Penalty in Consent Decree Shows Teeth in Requirement for Good Faith Negotiation of Retransmission Consent Agreements

By David Oxenford|2020-05-07T09:28:20-05:00May 7th, 2020|Legal News|

The requirement that television broadcasters and MVPDs (including cable and satellite television providers) negotiate in good faith over the provisions of retransmission consent agreements is often cited in arguments by one side or the other when negotiations over the fees to be paid under those agreements break down. In a consent decree released last week,... Continue Reading…

The Basics of Music Rights for Webcasters and Podcasters – A Webinar at World Audio Day

By David Oxenford|2020-05-06T10:08:11-05:00May 6th, 2020|Legal News|

Music licensing issues are always confusing. At the request of streaming service provider Live365 which hosted World Audio Day as a virtual substitute for our all getting together at last month’s cancelled NAB Convention in Las Vegas, I participated in a discussion of those issues, trying to provide the basics as to who gets paid... Continue Reading…

The Basics of Music Rights for Webcasters and Podcasters – A Webinar at World Audio Day

By David Oxenford|2020-05-06T10:08:11-05:00May 6th, 2020|Legal News|

Music licensing issues are always confusing. At the request of streaming service provider Live365 which hosted World Audio Day as a virtual substitute for our all getting together at last month’s cancelled NAB Convention in Las Vegas, I participated in a discussion of those issues, trying to provide the basics as to who gets paid... Continue Reading…

EEO Relief for Broadcasters Hiring in the Post-Shutdown World

By David Oxenford|2020-05-05T09:22:12-05:00May 5th, 2020|Legal News|

The FCC yesterday announced a policy that will relieve broadcasters of wide-dissemination EEO obligations in rehiring laid-off employees in a post-shutdown world. Because of the significant economic hit taken by broadcasters when so many advertisers pulled their advertising schedules as so many businesses shut down, many broadcasters who did not receive PPP loans were forced... Continue Reading…

This Week at the FCC: April 25, 2020 to May 1, 2020

By David Oxenford|2020-05-03T11:29:21-05:00May 3rd, 2020|Legal News|

Last week, we started this feature of Here are some of the Washington actions of importance to broadcasters – at the FCC and elsewhere – which occurred in the last week, with links to where you can go to find more information as to how this may affect your operations. The comment period ended in... Continue Reading…

Record Companies Respond to FCC Commissioner on Payola – What Should Broadcasters Learn from the Responses?

By David Oxenford|2020-04-29T11:19:15-05:00April 29th, 2020|Legal News|

The responses by the major record labels to Commissioner O’Rielly’s inquiry into allegations of payola practices (see our article here) were published last week while we were all distracted with pandemic issues. While the responses (available here on the Commissioner’s twitter feed) were perhaps not surprising – saying that the record labels do not engage... Continue Reading…

Broadcast Stations Going Silent – What You Need to Do

By David Oxenford|2020-04-28T10:51:01-05:00April 28th, 2020|Legal News|

Taking a station off the air is often the last resort of a broadcast company in desperate financial times. While Payroll Protection Act loans have helped many small broadcasters avoid that action even in light of the dramatic decrease in broadcast advertising revenue in the last two months, and some relief may come in areas... Continue Reading…

May Regulatory Dates for Broadcasters – License Renewal Preparations, FCC Meeting, and Comments on the Communications Marketplace, Significant Viewing and FM Zonecasting

By David Oxenford|2020-04-27T11:04:09-05:00April 27th, 2020|Legal News|

During most months, FCC procedures, rules and regulations, with their mostly predictable schedules and deadlines, give broadcasters a feeling of routine. In this time of stay-at-home orders, social distancing measures, and face-mask wearing, even FCC deadlines cannot provide the semblance of normality we are all looking for. In fact, May is one of those months... Continue Reading…

FCC Issues Guidance on TV License Renewals and Announces New Ownership Question on Radio Renewals

By David Oxenford|2020-04-24T09:15:55-05:00April 24th, 2020|Legal News|

The FCC issued public notices this week on the license renewal process for both radio and television operators. The Public Notice on television renewals was perhaps more significant, as it addressed several issues and procedures for the television renewal process which begins with the filing of renewals for stations located in Maryland, DC, Virginia and... Continue Reading…

About David Oxenford