Among the changes: RUFRNs, static NCE biennial deadlines, increased reporting burdens for NCE licensees The FCC’s seemingly Sisyphian quest to design the Perfect Broadcast Ownership Report has yielded a number of changes. Whether, as the Commission hopes, they are changes for the better remains to be seen, presumably when the next round of biennial ownership … Continue Reading
With the Super Bowl fast approaching, broadcasters and other media companies are planning advertising and promotions around the big game. Here is some advice to broadcasters from Mitchell Stabbe, a lawyer from my firm who has spent over 30 years counseling businesses on trademark issues, about legal cautions to consider in finalizing your plans: In addition to… Continue Reading
In a Report and Order that has been in the making since at least 1998, the FCC yesterday adopted new ownership reporting forms for both commercial and noncommercial broadcast stations. The FCC’s goal in adopting these new forms is to enhance the completeness and accuracy of its broadcast ownership data by (i) again imposing a unique […]
Ultra-wideband sensor arguably does not use enough bandwidth to qualify as ultra-wideband. Ultra-wideband (UWB) radio works by spreading a very low power signal across a very wide range of frequencies. The FCC approved ultra-wideband in 2002, following what it understatedly called “an unusually controversial proceeding.” Almost every category of spectrum user, including parts of the … Continue Reading
Effective dates, comment deadlines now set It’s been nearly three months since the FCC released its long-awaited AM Revitalization Order. And while the Audio Division staff has done what it could in terms of moving things along, the full range of regulatory changes adopted by the Commission have not taken effect yet because the FCC’s … Continue Reading
If you missed our recent webinar (featuring FCC political broadcasting guru Bobby Baker) covering All Things Political Broadcasting, don’t worry. You can attend ex post facto, in absentia (if that’s such a thing), by listening to the whole two-hour production online. Just click on this link. As with folks who attended the live event, you’ll … Continue Reading
At the beginning of each year, we publish our broadcaster’s calendar of important dates – setting out the many dates for which broadcasters should be on alert as this year progresses. The Broadcasters Calendar for 2016 is available here. The dates set out on the calendar include not only FCC filing deadlines and dates by… Continue Reading
OMB finally approves rules, but expect delays Back in January, 2013, the FCC reorganized and simplified the experimental rules processes. (You can find our post describing the changes here.) The overhaul included creation of several new types of experimental licenses: for example, Program Experimental Licenses, which will eventually make it easier for manufacturers, research universities … Continue Reading
It’s that time of the year when we need to dust off the crystal ball and make predictions about the legal issues that will impact the business of broadcasters in 2016. While we try to look ahead to identify the issues that are on the agenda of the FCC and other government agencies, there are… Continue Reading