David Oxenford, Author at Tennessee Association of Broadcasters

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of popular songwriters (including Bruce Springsteen, members of the Eagles, Pharrell Williams and others who have withdrawn from ASCAP...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…

FCC Issues First EEO Audit of 2020 Targeting 320 Radio and Television Stations – Reviewing the Basics of the FCC’s EEO Rules

By David Oxenford|2020-02-07T09:23:57-06:00February 7th, 2020|Legal News|

The FCC yesterday released another of its regular EEO audit notices (available here), asking that approximately 240 radio stations and about 80 TV stations, and the employment units with which they are associated, provide to the FCC (by posting the information in their online public inspection file) their last two year’s EEO Annual Public File reports, as well... Continue Reading…

Quick Thoughts on a Few Political Broadcasting Legal Issues to Survive the Primary Season

By David Oxenford|2020-02-05T11:25:04-06:00February 5th, 2020|Legal News|

One presidential caucus down, 49 (primaries and caucuses, plus a few more in the territories) to go in the next four months – with primaries for Congressional, state and local offices stretching out through August. This presidential primary race has already seen unprecedented amounts of advertising on local stations, including through network advertising buys. Based... Continue Reading…

About David Oxenford