David Oxenford, Author at Tennessee Association of Broadcasters

Do TV Program Ratings Do a Good Job Telling Families Which Programs are Appropriate for Kids to Watch? Congress Wants to Know, So the FCC is Asking

By David Oxenford|2019-03-01T10:44:36-06:00March 1st, 2019|Legal News|

The FCC this week launched an inquiry into whether the TV Parental Guidelines and the organization that oversees these ratings provide accurate information to viewers as to which TV programs are appropriate for children. The FCC released a Public Notice to initiate the inquiry at the direction of Congress in the recently passed Consolidated Appropriations...… Continue Reading

Countdown to Comments on Next Quadrennial Review of Media Ownership Begins – Part I, Local Radio Ownership

By David Oxenford|2019-02-28T10:47:45-06:00February 28th, 2019|Legal News|

The Notice of Proposed Rulemaking in the next Quadrennial Review of the FCC’s ownership rules was adopted in December and was published today in the Federal Register, starting the 60 day period for public comments. Comments on the NPRM will be due on April 29 with reply comments due on May 29. The FCC is...… Continue Reading

GMR Interim Music License for Radio to be Extended – Yet Again

By David Oxenford|2019-02-26T09:36:47-06:00February 26th, 2019|Legal News|

This week, the Radio Music License Committee issued a press release that states that Global Music Rights (“GMR”), the new performing rights organization that collects royalties for the public performance of songs written by a number of popular songwriters (including Bruce Springsteen, members of the Eagles, Pharrell Williams and others) has agreed to extend their...… Continue Reading

FCC To Consider Rule for Repacking Expense Reimbursement for Radio and LPTV, and New Rules for Sale of Satellite Television Stations, at March Meeting

By David Oxenford|2019-02-22T10:26:42-06:00February 22nd, 2019|Legal News|

At its March 15 meeting, the FCC is scheduled to consider two items dealing with broadcasters, according to a blog post authored by Chairman Pai published yesterday. The first item to be considered deals with LPTV stations and TV translators, as well FM broadcasters – setting out the rules for reimbursement to be paid to...… Continue Reading

A Call to Regulate E-Cig Advertising – What is the FCC’s Role in Regulating Advertising For the Vices?

By David Oxenford|2019-02-20T08:54:01-06:00February 20th, 2019|Legal News|

In recent months, there have been many calls to regulate e-cigs, and potentially to regulate the marketing of all sorts of vaping products, including a call last week by an FCC Commissioner in an op-ed article in USA Today. As we wrote several months ago, these suggestions have been based in the fear that increased...… Continue Reading

FCC Starts First EEO Audit of Radio and TV Stations for 2019 – And Announces Upcoming Review of its EEO Audit and Enforcement Program

By David Oxenford|2019-02-17T09:33:45-06:00February 17th, 2019|Legal News|

On Friday, the FCC issued its first EEO audit of almost 300 radio and TV stations across the country (see the model audit letter and list of stations affected here), the day after announcing its intent to abolish the Form 397 EEO Mid-Term Report (see our articles here and here). In the Order announcing the...… Continue Reading

Washington Legal Issues for TV Broadcasters – Where Things Stand

By David Oxenford|2019-02-15T10:59:43-06:00February 15th, 2019|Legal News|

Where do all the Washington DC legal issues facing TV broadcasters stand? While we try on this Blog to write about many of those issues, we can’t always address everything that is happening. Every few months, my partner David O’Connor and I update a list of the legal and regulatory issues facing TV broadcasters. That...… Continue Reading

FCC Adopts Order to Eliminate the EEO Mid-Term Report and Starts Rulemaking Proceeding to Review Proceedings on Grants of New Noncommercial and LPFM Stations

By David Oxenford|2019-02-15T10:56:43-06:00February 15th, 2019|Legal News|

The FCC at its meeting yesterday adopted the two broadcast items that it was expected to consider (see our article on the agenda here) – one agreeing to eliminate the FCC Form 397 EEO Mid-Term Report and a second starting a proceeding to reexamine certain aspects of the criteria used to select the applications to be...… Continue Reading

Elimination of Requirement for Broadcasters to File Contracts and Agreements with the FCC Becomes Effective

By David Oxenford|2019-02-14T10:57:41-06:00February 14th, 2019|Legal News|

Back in October, the FCC eliminated the requirement that broadcasters file contracts and organizational documents with the Commission. See our post here for more details. That change became effective on January 22, 2019, as noted in an FCC Public Notice released earlier this week. This change was part of the Modernization of Media Regulation initiative,...… Continue Reading

About David Oxenford