Legal News

FCC Reaches Consent Decree with Noncommercial Broadcaster Imposing Largest Fine Ever Issued for Underwriting Violations – $115,000

By David Oxenford|2018-02-02T08:40:09-06:00February 2nd, 2018|Legal News|

Noncommercial broadcast stations are licensed to be just that – noncommercial. These stations can run “underwriting announcements” acknowledging commercial businesses that provide financial support to the stations, but such announcements must meet strict guidelines – including restrictions on “calls to action,” prohibitions on statements about prices or discounts, and requirements that no qualitative claim about...… Continue Reading

February Regulatory Dates for Broadcasters – Including EEO, Online Public File, Biennial Ownership Reports, ATSC 3.0 and FM Translator Comments, Effective Dates of Ownership Rule Changes

By David Oxenford|2018-02-01T08:34:05-06:00February 1st, 2018|Legal News|

We are already a full month into the New Year, and the regulatory issues for broadcasters keep on coming. February brings the usual requirements for Annual EEO Public File Reports, which should be placed into the public inspection files (those public files being online for TV stations, big clusters of radio stations in Top 50...… Continue Reading

Third Circuit Asked to Delay Implementation of Media Ownership Rules

By Dan Kirkpatrick|2018-01-30T14:09:52-06:00January 30th, 2018|Legal News|

As we previously reported, the deregulatory changes the FCC recently adopted to its media ownership rules are due to take effect on Feb. 7. Prometheus Radio Project and Media Mobilizing Project, however, have filed an appeal of those rule changes in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit and, as expected, have now...… Continue Reading

FCC Enforcement Monitor ~ January 2018

By Scott R. Flick, Joseph A. Cohen and Warren Kessler|2018-01-30T12:40:31-06:00January 30th, 2018|Legal News|

Pillsbury’s communications lawyers have published FCC Enforcement Monitor monthly since 1999 to inform our clients of notable FCC enforcement actions against FCC license holders and others. This month’s issue includes: Headlines: FCC Revokes Licenses After Alleged Failure to Report Felony Drug Conviction Car Dealership Receives Citation for Interference-Creating Outdoor Lighting License Renewal Hearing Ordered for […]

Comment Period Now Open on National Ownership Cap

By FHH Law|2018-01-30T11:00:15-06:00January 30th, 2018|Legal News|

Last Friday, the FCC published the December Notice of Proposed Rulemaking regarding the national ownership cap in the Federal Register. As we wrote about back in December, the NPRM addresses the current prohibition on any entity owning or controlling television stations that reach more than 39 percent of US television households. The NPRM requests comment...… Continue Reading

SoundExchange to Audit Records of Streaming by Alpha Media, Music Choice, and Google

By David Oxenford|2018-01-30T10:52:08-06:00January 30th, 2018|Legal News|

Last week, the Copyright Royalty Board published a Federal Register Notice announcing that SoundExchange was auditing broadcaster Alpha Media as well as Music Choice and Google to assess their compliance with the statutory music licenses provided by Sections 112 and 114 of the Copyright Act for the public performance of sound recordings and ephemeral copies...… Continue Reading

White House Deliberates Centralized 5G Network Proposal

By Tom Dougherty|2018-01-29T17:04:31-06:00January 29th, 2018|Legal News|

Telecommunications companies today got a rude awakening when Axios broke news that the Trump administration is considering a recommendation to centralize and build a 5G wireless network. According to multiple news outlets, members of the U.S. National Security Council (NSC) presented senior White House officials with recommendations to centralize the United States’ 5G network in...… Continue Reading

Children’s Programming Requirements on the Chopping Block?

By Dan Kirkpatrick|2018-01-29T16:21:56-06:00January 29th, 2018|Legal News|

Could the FCC’s children’s programming requirements (colloquially known as “kidvid”) be on their way out? If Commissioner O’Rielly gets his way, it seems that they might be; Or at the very least they will be subject to some significant revision. In a blog post released on Friday, O’Rielly argued that the rules are outdated, impose...… Continue Reading

Copyright Royalty Board Decision Will Raise Royalties Paid to Songwriters and Publishers By Digital Music Services

By David Oxenford|2018-01-29T11:04:18-06:00January 29th, 2018|Legal News|

The amount paid to songwriters and publishing companies for the making of “phonorecords” will be going up after a Copyright Royalty Board decision just released to the parties to the case. A summary of the findings have been published on the CRB website, here. The new rules are available here. A full decision explaining the...… Continue Reading