NAB Announces that a Majority in Congress Have Signed on to the Local Radio Freedom Act – A Look at the Broadcast Performance Royalty Debate

By |2020-08-13T10:56:39-05:00August 13th, 2020|Legal News|

The NAB recently announced that a majority of Congress has signed on to the Local Radio Freedom Act, the nonbinding resolution where Congressional representatives declare their opposition to the adoption of a broadcast performance royalty.  With that announcement, it is worth taking another look at what a broadcast performance royalty is and what might happen... Continue Reading…

FCC Issues Reminder of Obligations to Make Televised Emergency Information Available to Viewers with Disabilities

By |2020-08-11T11:29:46-05:00August 11th, 2020|Legal News|

About this time each year, as hurricane season ramps up, the FCC issues a notice reminding television broadcasters and other video providers of their obligations to make accessible emergency information to all of the populations which may be using their services – especially if parts of the audience cannot see or hear the emergency information... Continue Reading…

FCC Repeals Radio Duplication Prohibitions

By |2020-08-10T15:17:00-05:00August 10th, 2020|Legal News|

On Thursday, August 6, the Federal Communications Commission (“FCC”) voted to repeal Section 73.3556 of its Rules and Regulations – a rule that formerly prohibited more than 25% duplication of programming by commonly owned radio stations in the same service (AM or FM) that have 50% or more overlap of their primary service contours. We...… Continue Reading

Window for Filing Applications for New Noncommercial FM Stations Appears to be Coming Soon – With an LPFM Window to Follow

By |2020-08-10T09:03:01-05:00August 10th, 2020|Legal News|

A window for the filing of applications for new noncommercial FM stations in the reserved FM band (below 92.1 FM) appears to be on its way – either later this year or early next.  As we reported in our summary of last week’s broadcast legal actions, Chairman Pai last week responded to a Congressional inquiry... Continue Reading…

This Week in Regulation for Broadcasters: August 1, 2020 to August 7, 2020

By |2020-08-08T16:37:51-05:00August 8th, 2020|Legal News|

Here are some of the regulatory and legal actions and developments of the last week of significance to broadcasters, with links to where you can go to find more information as to how these actions may affect your operations. The FCC acted this week on two media modernization items that had been teed up for... Continue Reading…

$12,000 Fine to Translator Operator for Overpower Operations – Review Your Translator’s Operations to Ensure they Comply With All Requirements of Your License

By |2020-08-07T10:14:59-05:00August 7th, 2020|Legal News|

A $12,000 fine issued to an FM translator operator for operating with a transmitter power output that exceeded its licensed limits was upheld by the FCC’s Enforcement Bureau in a decision released this week.  The Commission rejected the licensee’s argument that the Commission should have first given it notice and an opportunity to fix the... Continue Reading…

FCC Establishes Procedures for Auction of C-Band Spectrum – Auction to Begin on December 8, 2020

By |2020-08-06T17:04:47-05:00August 6th, 2020|Legal News|

Today, the Federal Communications Commission (“FCC” or the “Commission”) announced a Public Notice that establishes the procedures for Auction 107, which will make available spectrum in the lower portion of the C-Band, at 3.7-3.98 GHz.   The auction will be for new flexible-use overlay licenses, intended primarily to further the deployment of fifth-generation (5G) wireless, the...… Continue Reading

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