David Oxenford, Author at Tennessee Association of Broadcasters

Washington Reacts to the Virus – FCC Closed to Visitors and Its Employees Told to Telework; Audio Division Issues Guidance for Radio Regulatory Filings, and Copyright Office Postpones Webcasting Royalty Trial

By David Oxenford|2020-03-16T11:23:27-05:00March 16th, 2020|Legal News|

As Washington reacts to the coronavirus, there are certainly regulatory implications to broadcasters and other media companies. The FCC Thursday announced that its headquarters is closed to visitors and that its employees should begin to telework. Many FCC employees regularly took advantage of telework options before the current situation, so it can be expected that... Continue Reading…

The FDA Issues New Guidance on CBD – Still Leaving Many Questions for Broadcasters and Advertisers

By David Oxenford|2020-03-11T10:00:44-05:00March 11th, 2020|Legal News|

The FDA last week issued an update on its review of issues related to the sale and marketing of CBD products. The guidance reiterates the kinds of warnings that we have given before (see, for instance, our articles here and here) about not advertising specific health benefits of CBD products as, except for two approved... Continue Reading…

Must-Carry and Retransmission Consent Notices Going Electronic – TV and MVPDs Required to Update Public File Contact Information by July 31

By David Oxenford|2020-03-06T11:12:59-06:00March 6th, 2020|Legal News|

Notifications about cable carriage have now gone electronic – and contact people at stations and MVPDs for notices about carriage issues are now to be provided in the FCC-hosted online public inspection file and in the Cable Operations and Licensing System (COALS). According to an FCC Public Notice released last week, in those databases there... Continue Reading…

Another Interim License Extension Offered by GMR to Radio Broadcasters – This Time for a Full Year – An Indication of the Status of the Litigation With RMLC?

By David Oxenford|2020-03-05T10:45:27-06:00March 5th, 2020|Legal News|

The Radio Music License Committee yesterday told members that Global Music Rights (“GMR”), the performing rights organization that began a few years ago to collect royalties for the public performance of songs written by a select number of popular songwriters (including Bruce Springsteen, members of the Eagles, Pharrell Williams and others who have withdrawn from ASCAP... Continue Reading…

FCC Adopts Notice of Proposed Rulemaking Looking to Allow Higher Power and Greater Height for Unlicensed White Space Devices Operating in the TV Bands

By David Oxenford|2020-03-03T10:47:34-06:00March 3rd, 2020|Legal News|

A Notice of Proposed Rulemaking proposing greater coverage areas for unlicensed “white space” devices operating in the TV bands was adopted at the FCC’s open meeting last week and released earlier this week. We have written about these white space devices before (see, for instance, our articles here and here). These devices operate at relatively... Continue Reading…

FCC Seeks Comments on the State of the Communications Marketplace – Including for Audio and Video

By David Oxenford|2020-02-28T10:51:58-06:00February 28th, 2020|Legal News|

The FCC yesterday released a Public Notice calling for public comment on the state of the communications marketplace so that it can prepare a report to Congress – a report that is required every even-numbered year. The Notice calls for comments on the state of competition in various sectors of the communications industry – including... Continue Reading…

March Regulatory Dates for Broadcasters—Children’s Television Reports, Lowest Unit Rate Windows, EEO Audit Responses, AM Revitalization Comments, License Renewal Preparation and More

By David Oxenford|2020-02-24T11:06:39-06:00February 24th, 2020|Legal News|

As the calendar flips to March, many of us have put our trust in Punxsutawney Phil’s weather forecasting expertise that an early spring is coming. A surer place to put our trust, however, is in the guarantee that there are always some regulatory dates about which broadcasters should be aware. While March is a month... Continue Reading…

FCC Adopts Strict Processing Policies on Requests for Modification of TV Markets for Cable and Satellite Carriage

By David Oxenford|2020-02-21T10:45:44-06:00February 21st, 2020|Legal News|

In a decision released this week, the FCC reiterated a policy of being very tough on petitions to add communities to television markets to change the stations that are considered to be part of the market for cable and satellite carriage purposes. This strict compliance policy was set out in another case decided last year. ... Continue Reading…

Litigation Continues as Court Rejects GMR Motion to Dismiss RMLC Lawsuit – and RMLC’s Request to Dismiss GMR Claims

By David Oxenford|2020-02-18T10:52:58-06:00February 18th, 2020|Legal News|

Global Music Rights, the relatively new performing rights organization that signed a number of composers of popular songs away from ASCAP and BMI in order to seek higher music royalties for the public performance of their works on radio stations and other media platforms (see our articles here and here), lost one round in its... Continue Reading…

About David Oxenford