Translator windows, interference protection changes, MDCL … and adios to the ratchet rule Two years in the making, the FCC’s AM Revitalization decision (full name: “First Report and Order, Further Notice of Proposed Rule Making, and Notice of Inquiry” – let’s just stick with Revitalization Decision, shall we?) has finally worked its way through the … Continue Reading
Deadlines, opening bids, other procedures are now set. The FCC’s preparations for the long-in-the-works Broadcast Incentive Auction have taken the final turn and are now barreling down the stretch. With a 300+ page Public Notice (including two appendices and an attachment) setting out the auction procedures and other important details, the Commission has filled in … Continue Reading
Commission accepts back-up CSAs – with some caveats – and extends time to complete transition to shared facilities. In a further effort to encourage broadcaster participation in the reverse portion of the Broadcast Incentive Auction, the FCC has both (a) clarified its policies toward “back-up” channel sharing agreements (CSAs) and (b) increased the time available … Continue Reading
While relief won’t come as soon as radio broadcasters had hoped, the FCC gave AM stations a shot in the arm with the release of an Order designed to provide assistance to the struggling AM radio service. The Order, released on October 23, 2015, comes a full two years after the October 2013 Notice of […]
On Friday, the FCC finally took action in its long-awaited AM revitalization rulemaking proceeding. Friday’s order came in three parts – one adopting certain changes to FCC technical FCC rules and also adopting procedures for AM stations to acquire FM translators, a second asking for comment on a series of additional proposals looking to further… Continue Reading
The FCC seems to almost daily be issuing orders in the incentive auction proceeding, looking to the filing of applications in December by TV stations ready to give up their spectrum to the FCC so that it can be repackaged and resold to wireless users. In the last two days, the Commission has issued orders… Continue Reading
but the new rule still won’t be effective for some time. Last September we reported on the FCC’s decision to (finally) allow broadcasters to post on their websites the rules to contests they promote on the air. The Commission’s Report and Order has now made it into the Federal Register. That’s the good news. The … Continue Reading
Here’s your chance to let the FCC know how to assess the “good faith” of parties to a retrans negotiation. While many (if not most) television licensees are likely trying to sift through the several hundreds of pages of FCC materials laying out the fast-approaching incentive auction process, it’s important not to lose sight of … Continue Reading
Import declaration rules waived for second half of 2016 Regular visitors to CommLawBlog know that the FCC maintains technical rules for radio transmitters and certain other equipment. These rules typically specify power, bandwidth, frequency stability, out-of-band emissions – that sort of thing. They’re intended to minimize the likelihood that a device will cause unwanted interference … Continue Reading