News – Page 257 – Tennessee Association of Broadcasters

Copyright Royalty Board Announces Additional Webcaster Audit by SoundExchange – Reminder to Carefully Maintain Your Royalty Records as They Can be Reviewed at Any Time

By David Oxenford|2017-05-15T11:19:10-05:00May 15th, 2017|Legal News|

In the Federal Register last week was a notice that SoundExchange intends to audit the royalty payments of Pandora for its Internet radio service. As we wrote at the beginning of the year, SoundExchange routinely decides to audit representative companies in various segments of the digital music industry. In January, for instance, they issued notices...… Continue Reading

Announcement of FCC Window for AM Stations to File For New FM Translators Coming Very Soon

By David Oxenford|2017-05-14T09:39:43-05:00May 14th, 2017|Legal News|

At the NAB Convention, Chairman Pai announced that the promised windows for AM stations to apply for new FM translators would open this summer (see our article here). It now looks as if that promise is about to become a reality as on Friday the FCC added to its list of “items on circulation” a...… Continue Reading

FCC Temporarily Waives International Traffic Reporting Requirements

By Cheng-yi Liu and Keenan Adamchak|2017-05-12T16:39:55-05:00May 12th, 2017|Legal News|

The Federal Communications Commission recently issued a temporary waiver of its international traffic and revenue reporting requirements while it contemplates a more permanent scaling-back of regulatory burdens associated with international telecommunications services. Long-time readers of our blog may recall that we reported on FCC “reductions” to international reporting obligations a few years ago – but...… Continue Reading

FCC Opens Broad Review of Wireless Siting Impediments

By Donald Evans|2017-05-11T16:29:29-05:00May 11th, 2017|Legal News|

(Commission is looking for ways to streamline the site permitting process) At its April 2017 meeting, the FCC finally adopted a long awaited Notice of Proposed Rulemaking and Notice of Inquiry addressing the many frustrations faced by tower builders, wireless carriers, and others who have run the painful and often lengthy gauntlet of getting...… Continue Reading

FCC v. Colbert – A Controversy Based on Truth or Truthiness?

By Dan Kirkpatrick|2017-05-10T18:09:55-05:00May 10th, 2017|Legal News|

Last Monday, during his monologue on the Late Show, Stephen Colbert made a number of jokes at President Donald Trump’s expense, including lobbing a series of insults at the President. (The full monologue is available here; check around 11:15 for the portion that has gotten folks talking). One of these insults, which included a joking...… Continue Reading

5 Questions on the Meaning of the FCC’s Recent Ruling on Online Recruiting – How Does it Change a Broadcaster’s EEO Obligations?

By David Oxenford|2017-05-10T10:23:45-05:00May 10th, 2017|Legal News|

The FCC recently issued a declaratory ruling (which we summarized here) addressing the requirement that broadcasters widely disseminate information about all of their job openings in such a way as to reach all of the groups within their communities. The recent FCC decision stated that a broadcaster can now rely solely on online sources to...… Continue Reading

FCC to Investigate Steven Colbert? – Much Ado About Nothing

By David Oxenford|2017-05-08T08:16:44-05:00May 8th, 2017|Legal News|

Several articles published at the end of last week suggested that the FCC, based on a statement by FCC Chairman Pai on a radio show, would be investigating comments made by Stephen Colbert on a program last week. The comments, suggesting a sexual act between President Trump and Vladimir Putin, has raised much controversy and...… Continue Reading

Update: Comment Dates Set on Prometheus Petition for Reconsideration of Relaxation of Siting Rules for FM Translators Rebroadcasting AM Stations

By David Oxenford|2017-05-05T11:27:42-05:00May 5th, 2017|Legal News|

Earlier this week, we wrote about a number of proceedings affecting FM translators, including the Petition for Reconsideration (available here) of the FCC decision relaxing the rules governing the locations at which AM stations using FM translators to rebroadcast their signal can locate those translators (see our summary here). Notice of that Petition has now...… Continue Reading

Reminder – FCC Political Rules Apply to Off-Year Elections for Vacant Congressional Seats, and for State and Local Offices

By David Oxenford|2017-05-04T09:25:34-05:00May 4th, 2017|Legal News|

In odd years like 2017, most broadcasting stations don’t think about the FCC’s political broadcasting rules. But they should – both for special elections to fill open seats in Congress, and for state and local political offices. Recently, I have received a number of calls about elections to fill seats in Congress that were vacated by… Continue Reading