Legal News

CLASSICS Act Introduced to Provide Pre-1972 Sound Recording Public Performance Clarity – What Issues Does It Leave Unresolved?

By David Oxenford|2017-07-25T11:15:09-05:00July 25th, 2017|Legal News|

The CLASSICS (Compensating Legacy Artists for their Songs, Service and Important Contributions to Society) Act was introduced in Congress last week to try to clear up some of the ongoing disputes over the public performance rights of pre-1972 sound recordings. Through litigation, certain copyright holders (including, most notably, Flo and Eddie of the 1960’s band...… Continue Reading

Proposed $66,000 Fine Reminds Broadcasters to Prepare for September Nationwide EAS Test

By David Oxenford|2017-07-24T10:49:01-05:00July 24th, 2017|Legal News|

FEMA (the Federal Emergency Management Agency) has notified the FCC that it will be conducting the next nationwide test of the EAS system on September 27, 2017 (with a back-up date of October 4, 2017 – in the event potential real emergencies make the earlier date one that could cause confusion). The FCC has updated...… Continue Reading

Incentive Auction Developments – Payments to TV Stations Giving Up Their Spectrum Announced and Bill Introduced to Provide More Funds for Repacking Reimbursement for TV, Radio and LPTV Stations

By David Oxenford|2017-07-21T11:32:36-05:00July 21st, 2017|Legal News|

Earlier this week, we wrote about some of the upcoming dates for broadcasters in the TV incentive auction process – particularly those dealing with the repacking process. Developments continue, with the FCC yesterday issuing a Public Notice announcing that stations that relinquished their spectrum in the incentive auction will be receiving their payouts from the...… Continue Reading

Show Me the Money: Broadcaster Auction Payments Coming in Next Few Days

By Lauren Lynch Flick|2017-07-21T02:09:20-05:00July 21st, 2017|Legal News|

According to a newly-released Public Notice, the FCC has directed the U.S. Department of Treasury to pay all broadcasters who had winning bids in the recently concluded spectrum incentive auction. The only exceptions are those broadcasters that failed to submit sufficient banking information to the Commission for payment to be made. Since the FCC does […]

Last Nail in the PTFP Coffin?

By Bob Winteringham|2017-07-20T09:32:44-05:00July 20th, 2017|Legal News|

(NTIA Proposes Formal End to Public Telecom Facilities Program) The National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) has issued a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) that proposes to repeal all of its regulations establishing and governing the Public Telecommunications Facilities Program (PTFP). The PTFP was a competitive grant program that helped public broadcasting entities, state and local...… Continue Reading

Leggo Our Spectrum – The Auto Industry’s Win for Vehicular Radar

By Laura Stefani|2017-07-19T18:44:43-05:00July 19th, 2017|Legal News|

FCC Order Represents One More Step Towards Fully-Autonomous Vehicles I’ve written on connected and autonomous vehicles in the past, including about an ongoing spectrum fight at the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) regarding use of spectrum set aside years ago for vehicle-to-vehicle and vehicle-to-infrastructure communications (specifically, for a technology called DSRC). The FCC now has revised...… Continue Reading

What’s Next for TV Stations Repacked as a Result of the Incentive Auction? – Recent Flurry of FCC Announcements

By David Oxenford|2017-07-19T10:41:55-05:00July 19th, 2017|Legal News|

As the repacking of the TV band proceeds after the Incentive Auction, the FCC has issued some guidance as to what comes next for TV stations. Obviously, in the near future, TV stations that agreed to surrender their spectrum in the auction will get notice from the FCC to expect their payments from the proceeds...… Continue Reading

FCC Tweaks Mic Rules, Microsoft Launches Spectrum Fight

By Laura Stefani|2017-07-18T10:26:29-05:00July 18th, 2017|Legal News|

In late 2015, major wireless microphone manufacturers requested that the FCC “reconsider” various mostly-technical rules that it had adopted as part of a wide-ranging strategy to reallocate spectrum for wireless microphones. (We’ve written about recent regulatory changes for wireless mics here, here and here.) The Commission now has responded via an Order aimed at fine-tuning...… Continue Reading

The FCC Re-Tweaks the Equipment Authorization Rules

By Mitchell Lazarus|2017-07-17T11:19:38-05:00July 17th, 2017|Legal News|

Some FCC regulations are carved in stone, changing about as often as the rules of chess. But not the equipment authorization rules, which lay out the procedures manufacturers and importers must follow to market devices having potential to cause interference to radio communications. The FCC likes to revise and update these every few years. This...… Continue Reading