The FCC this week announced a Consent Decree with a TEGNA subsidiary to settle an indecency complaint against a Spokane television station. The FCC received a complaint about a “pornographic video” which the station admitted had run on a TV screen behind the station’s weathercaster that was visible to the home viewer for approximately 13... Continue Reading…
Schools, hospitals, and libraries in poor and rural areas and millions of low-income American consumers can breathe a sigh of relief: they will continue to receive uninterrupted service subsidies through the Federal Communications Commission’s (FCC) Universal Service Fund (USF or Fund). On June 27, 2025, the US Supreme Court issued a significant decision in FCC […]
Only three weeks ago, we published an article on the FCC’s request for public comment to update the record in the 2018 proceeding looking at whether to change the 39% national cap on the ownership of television stations. That request for comments was published in the Federal Register yesterday, setting the deadline for comments. Comments... Continue Reading…
Here are some of the regulatory developments of significance to broadcasters from the past week, with links to where you can go to find more information as to how these actions may affect your operations. Continue Reading…
Pillsbury’s communications lawyers have published the FCC Enforcement Monitor monthly since 1999 to inform our clients of notable FCC enforcement actions against FCC license holders and others. This month’s issue includes: CB Radio Operator’s Transmission of Indecipherable Sound Effects Leads to $25,000 Fine Low Power FM Radio Licensee Enters Consent Decree Over Airing of Commercials […]
Here are some of the regulatory developments of significance to broadcasters from the past week, with links to where you can go to find more information as to how these actions may affect your operations. On our Broadcast Law Blog, we discussed upcoming regulatory deadlines in July affecting broadcasters. These include Quarterly Issues Programs lists... Continue Reading…
Last week, the FCC released a Public Notice requesting comments to refresh the record compiled in 2018 in a proceeding that proposed to review the TV national ownership cap. That cap limits any company from having attributable interests in full-power TV stations that reach more than 39% of the nationwide TV audience. That 2018 proceeding... Continue Reading…
Broadcasters’ next Quarterly Issues/Programs List (“Quarterly List”) must be placed in stations’ Public Inspection Files by July 10, 2025, reflecting information for the months of April, May, and June 2025. Content of the Quarterly List The FCC requires each broadcast station to air a reasonable amount of programming responsive to significant community needs, issues, and […]
The lazy days of summer provide little respite from the regulatory actions of importance to broadcasters. July brings quarterly requirements, including most importantly, the obligation to upload Quarterly Issues/Programs Lists to a station’s online public file. There are comment deadlines in July in three FCC proceedings: on regulatory fees, on a proposal for LPTV stations... Continue Reading…