News – Page 157 – Tennessee Association of Broadcasters

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…

BMI Settlement of Royalty Battle with RMLC to Include Music in Podcasts? – Not So Fast….

By David Oxenford|2020-01-31T11:14:16-06:00January 31st, 2020|Legal News|

BMI and the Radio Music License Committee announced a settlement of their rate court litigation over the royalties that commercial radio will pay for the public performance of musical compositions licensed by BMI. While we have not yet seen the agreement, the press release already raises one issue likely to sew confusion in the broadcast... Continue Reading…

Available Now: Getting into the Weeds of CBD & Marijuana Advertising

By FHH Law|2020-01-30T11:01:44-06:00January 30th, 2020|Legal News|

On Wednesday, January 29th, Fletcher, Heald & Hildreth’s Frank Montero, Dan Kirkpatrick, and Seth Williams presented a webinar that got “into the weeds” of CBD and marijuana advertising. New questions have been raised since the US Department of Agriculture in 2019 published their interim rules on the “Establishment of Domestic Hemp Projects”. To address broadcasters...… Continue Reading

Did You Know that There is a Rule that Broadcasters Have to Tell Their Audience that a Program Is Recorded When It Seems to Be Live? – FCC Sends a $50,000 Reminder

By David Oxenford|2020-01-30T07:45:49-06:00January 30th, 2020|Legal News|

Did you know that the FCC has a rule that requires that a broadcaster notify its audience that a program has been pre-recorded when the program “creates the impression” that it is live? Probably many broadcasters had forgotten about that rule (if they ever knew it existed). This week the FCC’s Enforcement Bureau entered into... Continue Reading…

FCC Enforcement Monitor ~ January 2020

By Scott R. Flick and Warren Kessler|2020-01-29T10:13:53-06:00January 29th, 2020|Legal News|

Pillsbury’s communications lawyers have published 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: Arkansas University’s Underwriting Violations Lead to $76,000 Consent Decree Large TV Broadcaster Agrees to Pay $1.3 Million Over Predecessor’s Tower Compliance Problems Recent Fine Cancellations […]

Looking Ahead to the Rest of 2020 – Potential Legal and Regulatory Issues For the Remainder of the Year

By David Oxenford|2020-01-28T22:35:36-06:00January 28th, 2020|Legal News|

Most years, at some point in January, we look into our crystal ball and try to see some of the legal and regulatory issues likely to face broadcasters. We already provided a calendar of the routine regulatory filings that are due this year (see our Broadcaster’s Regulatory Calendar). But not on that calendar are the... Continue Reading…

Upcoming FCC Broadcast and Telecom Deadlines for January – March

By FHH Law|2020-01-28T15:11:48-06:00January 28th, 2020|Legal News|

Broadcast Deadlines: January 31, 2020 Biennial Ownership Reports – All licensees and entities holding an attributable interest in a licensee of one or more AM, FM, TV, Class A television, and/or Low Power TV (LPTV) stations must file a biennial ownership report reflecting information as of October 1, 2019. Please recall that not only corporations...… Continue Reading

Selected New Developments in Broadband – January

By Jeffrey Mitchell|2020-01-27T13:47:01-06:00January 27th, 2020|Legal News|

Capitol Hill House Democrats are reportedly putting the finishing touches on a broadband-only infrastructure spending bill that could allocate as much as $80 billion to broadband deployment and digital equity. A formal announcement is expected in February. National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) NTIA is sponsoring an all-day Smart Agriculture & Rural Supercluster Workshop in...… Continue Reading