Legal News

Gazing into the Crystal Ball at Legal and Policy Issues for Broadcasters in 2024 – Part II: What to Expect from the Courts and Agencies Other than the FCC

By David Oxenford|2024-01-04T11:31:08-06:00January 4th, 2024|Legal News|

Earlier this week, we covered the broadcast issues that the FCC may be facing in 2024. But the FCC is just one of the many branches of government that regulates the activities of broadcasters. There are numerous federal agencies, the Courts, Congress, and even state legislatures that all are active in adopting rules, making policies,... Continue Reading…

FCC Releases NPRM Proposing New Reporting Requirements for Retransmission Consent Blackouts

By Daniel Brown|2024-01-03T13:30:40-06:00January 3rd, 2024|Legal News|

On December 21, 2023, the FCC released a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (“NPRM”) proposing new reporting requirements for multichannel video programming distributors (“MVPDs”). The amendments to the FCC’s rules, if enacted, would give MVPDs 48 hours to notify the FCC when a blackout of 24 hours or more of a broadcast television station, or stations,...… Continue Reading

Gazing into the Crystal Ball at Legal and Policy Issues for Broadcasters in 2024 – Part I: What to Expect From the FCC

By David Oxenford|2024-01-02T10:30:26-06:00January 2nd, 2024|Legal News|

A new year – and our annual opportunity to pull out the crystal ball and look at the legal issues that will be facing broadcasters in the new year. We’ve already published our 2024 Broadcasters Calendar and, as we noted before the holidays, it highlights the many lowest unit rate windows for the November election. ... Continue Reading…

FCC 2018 Quadrennial Order Largely Maintains Status Quo, But Local Television Ownership Rule Modifications Create New Uncertainty

By Scott R. Flick and Jessica T. Nyman|2023-12-28T15:47:07-06:00December 28th, 2023|Legal News|

Bookending the Christmas weekend, the FCC’s long-awaited 2018 Quadrennial Review Report and Order was adopted on Friday, December 22 and released Tuesday, December 26. The Commission is required by Congress to conduct a regulatory review of its broadcast ownership rules every four years and was directed by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. […]

Broadcast Regulation Does Not Take a Vacation: FCC Resolves 2018 Quadrennial Review with No Significant Changes in Ownership Rules; Proposes a Reporting System for Retransmission Blackouts; and Advances New EEO Reporting Rules

By David Oxenford|2023-12-28T10:48:32-06:00December 28th, 2023|Legal News|

While we normally publish a weekly summary of regulatory actions relevant to broadcasters, the weekend before last we said that we would take the holiday weeks off – and return with a summary on January 7 of all that occurred over the break – unless there was news in the interim. Well, there has been... Continue Reading…

FCC Releases Report and Order Concluding Its 2018 Quadrennial Regulatory Review

By Daniel Brown|2023-12-27T14:26:12-06:00December 27th, 2023|Legal News|

After receiving a mandated deadline from the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit, the FCC presented its long-awaited Christmas gift to the broadcast industry with the December 26 release of the 2018 Quadrennial Review Report and Order (“R&O”). By a 3-2 vote, with both Republican commissioners dissenting, the R&O found that the FCC’s...… Continue Reading

FCC Releases Report and Order Concluding Its 2018 Quadrennial Regulatory Review

By Daniel Brown|2023-12-27T14:26:12-06:00December 27th, 2023|Legal News|

After receiving a mandated deadline from the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit, the FCC presented its long-awaited Christmas gift to the broadcast industry with the December 26 release of the 2018 Quadrennial Review Report and Order (“R&O”). By a 3-2 vote, with both Republican commissioners dissenting, the R&O found that the FCC’s...… Continue Reading

FDA Adopts New Rules Requirements for “Side Effects” Statements in Prescription Drugs Ads on Broadcast Stations

By Sara Hinkle|2023-12-21T18:16:49-06:00December 21st, 2023|Legal News|

The Food and Drug Administration (“FDA”) has adopted a Final Rule requiring that when a direct-to-consumer TV or radio ad for a prescription drug makes statements relating to side effects of the drug, those statements must be presented in a “clear, conspicuous, and neutral manner.” This Final Rule implements one requirement of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic...… Continue Reading

FCC Enforcement Monitor December 2023

By Scott R. Flick, Elizabeth Craig and Adam J. Sandler|2023-12-21T12:02:28-06:00December 21st, 2023|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: Mobile Service Provider Enters $23.5 Million Consent Decree to Resolve Lifeline and Emergency Broadband Benefit Program Investigation Texas TV Station Receives $13,000 Penalty for Unauthorized […]