Legal News

$12,000 Fine to Translator Operator for Overpower Operations – Review Your Translator’s Operations to Ensure they Comply With All Requirements of Your License

By David Oxenford|2020-08-07T10:14:59-05:00August 7th, 2020|Legal News|

A $12,000 fine issued to an FM translator operator for operating with a transmitter power output that exceeded its licensed limits was upheld by the FCC’s Enforcement Bureau in a decision released this week. The Commission rejected the licensee’s argument that the Commission should have first given it notice and an opportunity to fix the... Continue Reading…

FCC Establishes Procedures for Auction of C-Band Spectrum – Auction to Begin on December 8, 2020

By Paul J. Feldman|2020-08-06T17:04:47-05:00August 6th, 2020|Legal News|

Today, the Federal Communications Commission (“FCC” or the “Commission”) announced a Public Notice that establishes the procedures for Auction 107, which will make available spectrum in the lower portion of the C-Band, at 3.7-3.98 GHz. The auction will be for new flexible-use overlay licenses, intended primarily to further the deployment of fifth-generation (5G) wireless, the...… Continue Reading

FCC Eliminates Rule Requiring Broadcast Station Tower Owners to Give Access to Competing Stations

By David Oxenford|2020-08-06T10:04:22-05:00August 6th, 2020|Legal News|

The FCC yesterday acted to resolve the proceeding begun a year ago (see our article here) to eliminate the rule that prevented an FM or TV broadcaster from denying space to a competing broadcaster on a broadcast tower that it controls. As expected, that rule was eliminated by an order to become effective when it... Continue Reading…

O’Rielly Re-nomination Dismissed

By FHH Law|2020-08-06T09:25:25-05:00August 5th, 2020|Legal News|

In a rare move this week, Commissioner Michael O’Rielly – a Republican – had his re-nomination to the Federal Communications Commission (“FCC”) rescinded by President Trump. O’Rielly’s re-nomination first stalled last week when Oklahoma Republican Senator James Inhofe, Chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, put it on hold over objections to an FCC decision allowing...… Continue Reading

Identifying the Legal Issues in Using Digital and Social Media – A Video Webinar

By David Oxenford|2020-08-05T10:41:36-05:00August 5th, 2020|Legal News|

Almost every broadcaster and other media company uses digital and social media to reach their audiences with content and information that can be presented in ways different than those provided by their traditional platforms. Whether it is simply maintaining a website or streaming audio or video or maintaining a social media presence to reach and... Continue Reading…

C-Band Relocation Cost Schedule Released, With Earth Station Elections Due August 31, 2020

By Lee G. Petro|2020-08-03T13:41:21-05:00August 3rd, 2020|Legal News|

The FCC took another significant step in the C-Band reallocation process, releasing its Final Cost Category Schedule for Relocation Expenses of C-Band (3.7-4.2 GHz) satellite licensees. The Public Notice accompanying the cost schedule also established August 31, 2020 as the deadline for C-Band earth station licensees to elect whether they wish to receive a lump […]

This Week in Regulation for Broadcasters: July 25, 2020 to July 31, 2020

By David Oxenford and Adam Sandler|2020-08-02T10:34:34-05:00August 2nd, 2020|Legal News|

Here are some of the regulatory and legal developments of the last week of significance to broadcasters – and a look ahead to the FCC’s consideration of two media modernization items in the coming week. Links are also provided for you to find more information on how these actions may affect your operations. This week,... Continue Reading…

Now Available: 2020 Politcal Broadcasting Rules Refresher

By FHH Law|2020-07-31T09:33:33-05:00July 31st, 2020|Legal News|

On July 30, Fletcher, Heald & Hildreth attorneys, Frank Montero and Dan Kirkpatrick, along with the FCC’s political programming experts, Bobby Baker, Gary Schonman, and Sima Nilsson, discussed the requirements and latest developments in the FCC’s political broadcasting rules, including equal time, lowest unit rates, PAC ads, BCRA, and record keeping. If you didn’t catch the...… Continue Reading

Mobile Service Providers Will Need to Provide Z-Axis Location Data

By Donald Evans|2020-07-30T14:53:35-05:00July 30th, 2020|Legal News|

In an Order adopted July 17th, 2020, the Federal Communications Commission (“FCC”) took another step in its mission to make the precise location of wireless emergency calls more and more granular, to help emergency responders to determine the location of a caller who is injured or held captive and unable to communicate his or her...… Continue Reading