The Pillsbury Broadcasters’ Calendar: A Look at the Year Ahead With 2020 Accuracy

By |2019-12-31T12:02:10-06:00December 31st, 2019|Legal News|

With radio license renewals underway, TV license renewals starting soon, the TV repack chugging along, and a whole new set of deadlines for kidvid launching this year, there are a lot of 2020 deadlines that broadcasters must track and meet. To help broadcasters accomplish that, Pillsbury has published a new edition of its Broadcasters’ Calendar […]

Picking NCE and LPFM Winners Simplified: NCE and LPFM Station Transfer Rules Relaxed

By |2019-12-30T15:29:18-06:00December 30th, 2019|Legal News|

The Federal Communications Commission (“FCC”) has changed in its rules for selecting winners from groups of mutually exclusive (“MX”) noncommercial educational full-power radio (“NCE”) and Low Power FM (“LPFM”) applicants and has made it easier for MX applicants to negotiate voluntary time-sharing agreements. In the FCC’s Report and Order, it has also shortened the minimum...… Continue Reading

To Be or Not to Be: The Fate of Analog LPTV Channel 6 – Comment Deadlines Announced

By |2019-12-30T11:46:05-06:00December 30th, 2019|Legal News|

On December 4, 2019, we wrote that the Federal Communications Commission (“FCC”) has invited a new round of comments on the fate of analog Low Power Television (“LPTV”) stations that transmit on Channel 6 and target their audio channel to FM radio receivers. A notice in the Federal Register has announced that the deadline for...… Continue Reading

FCC Postpones Filing Deadline for First Annual Children’s Television Programming Report and Announces Effectiveness of Other Changes in Children’s Television Rules

By |2019-12-29T22:23:54-06:00December 29th, 2019|Legal News|

The FCC gave a present to TV broadcasters at the end of the week before Christmas by issuing a Public Notice announcing the effective date of the remaining changes to the children’s television rules, and postponing the filing date for the initial Children’s Television Programming Report, which was to be filed by January 30, to... Continue Reading…

FCC Reinstates 2016 Ownership Order and Gives Instructions for Sale and Renewal Applications in Light of Third Circuit Decision Overturning Rule Changes

By |2019-12-23T10:03:31-06:00December 23rd, 2019|Legal News|

Late Friday, the FCC issued an Order reinstating the FCC’s 2016 ownership rules, recognizing that the changes made in those rules in 2017 (see our post here) were no longer effective because the Third Circuit Court of Appeals had thrown out the 2017 decision. See our post here on the Third Circuit decision and our... Continue Reading…

January Regulatory Dates for Broadcasters – Quarterly Issues/Programs Lists, Children’s Television Annual Report, EEO, License Renewal, Political Rate Windows, FM Auction Dates and More

By |2019-12-19T10:24:06-06:00December 19th, 2019|Legal News|

With many Americans using the holiday season to rest and recharge, broadcasters should do the same but not forget that January is a busy month for complying with several important regulatory deadlines for broadcast stations.  These include dates that regularly occur for broadcasters, as well as some unique to this month.  In fact, with the... Continue Reading…

Non-Fixed FCC Telecom Deadlines for 2020

By |2019-12-18T10:59:34-06:00December 18th, 2019|Legal News|

With the start of a new year upon us, it’s worth giving some thought to what needs to be accomplished in the coming year. Each month, we write about upcoming deadlines for broadcasters and telecommunications providers regulated by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), but in addition to the fixed regulatory filing deadlines discussed in these...… Continue Reading

Election Season in High Gear for Broadcasters – Lowest Unit Rate Windows to Begin in Iowa This Week, New Hampshire Next and Other States Soon to Follow

By |2019-12-18T09:45:59-06:00December 18th, 2019|Legal News|

While political broadcasting never seems to be totally off the airwaves, the 2020 election season is about to click into high gear, with the window for lowest unit rates to begin on December 20 for advertising sales in connection with the January Iowa caucuses. That means that when broadcasters sell time to candidates for ads... Continue Reading…

FCC Adopts Changes to Rules for New Noncommercial FM and LPFM Stations – Changing Application Processing Procedures and Holding Periods

By |2019-12-17T11:13:00-06:00December 17th, 2019|Legal News|

Last week, the FCC adopted an order making numerous changes to its processes for selecting winning applicants among mutually-exclusive applicants for new noncommercial broadcast stations, including noncommercial, reserved band full power FM stations and LPFMs. Applicants are “mutually exclusive” when their technical proposals are in conflict – meaning that if one is granted it would... Continue Reading…

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