This Week in Regulation for Broadcasters: November 21, 2020 to November 27, 2020

By |2020-11-29T08:21:02-06:00November 29th, 2020|Legal News|

Here are some of the regulatory developments of the last week of significance to broadcasters, with links to where you can go to find more information as to how these actions may affect your operations. The FCC is seeking comment on proposed sponsorship identification requirements for broadcast programming that is paid for, or provided by,... Continue Reading…

FCC Proposes $20,000 Fine for TV Station Program-Length Commercial in Children’s Programming

By |2020-11-24T11:25:35-06:00November 24th, 2020|Legal News|

The FCC’s Video Division yesterday issued a Notice of Apparent Liability to a Baltimore TV station for airing a commercial for a Hot Wheels product in eight showings of the program “Team Hot Wheels.”  The Commission has, for almost 30 years, had a policy against what they term “program-length commercials” – programs that feature characters... Continue Reading…

This Week in Regulation for Broadcasters:  November 14, 2020 to November 20, 2020

By |2020-11-22T10:22:18-06:00November 22nd, 2020|Legal News|

Here are some of the regulatory developments of the last week of significance to broadcasters, with links to where you can go to find more information as to how these actions may affect your operations. After reviewing comments submitted this summer (we wrote about the rulemaking, here), the FCC will vote at its next Open... Continue Reading…

Two Trump Defamation Claims Dismissed Including Claim Against TV Station for Political Attack Ad – What is the Relevance for Broadcasters? 

By |2020-11-18T09:56:39-06:00November 18th, 2020|Legal News|

In the last few days, two defamation cases filed against media companies by the Trump campaign have been dismissed – one on the merits and one by agreement of the parties.  This includes the suit filed by the campaign against Northland Television, the licensee of a rural Wisconsin television station.  That station was perhaps the... Continue Reading…

FCC Makes Clear that Lowest Unit Charges for Candidate Ads Ends on Election Day

By |2020-11-03T13:59:49-06:00November 3rd, 2020|Legal News|

The FCC yesterday released a Public Notice making clear that lowest unit rates (or lowest unit charges) end on Election Day.  Some broadcasters had asked the question, fearful that there would be political advertising bought after Election Day to take positions on issues about counting the vote and other legal matters that could arise in... Continue Reading…

More FCC Consent Decrees for Political File Violations – Issues to Watch in the Last Weeks of the Election

By |2020-10-16T11:14:41-05:00October 16th, 2020|Legal News|

As the campaign enters its final weeks, the FCC has begun to send out the next round of proposed consent decrees to radio broadcasters unable to certify in their license renewal applications, because of perceived deficiencies in their political file, that that every document was placed into their FCC-hosted online public inspection file on a... Continue Reading…

A Video Summary of the Rules on Lowest Unit Rates and Other Political Broadcasting Resources

By |2020-10-01T11:07:29-05:00October 1st, 2020|Legal News|

Back in August, we highlighted some of the many issues in computing lowest unit charges (or “lowest unit rates”) for political candidates which are in effect during the window for the November elections that went into effect on September 4.  In this last month before the election, as political advertising ramps up and each party... Continue Reading…

This Week in Regulation for Broadcasters: September 12, 2020 to September 18, 2020

By |2020-09-19T13:41:46-05:00September 19th, 2020|Legal News|

Here are some of the regulatory and legal actions and developments of the last week of significance to broadcasters, with links to where you can go to find more information as to how these actions may affect your operations. Political advertising will continue to blanket the airwaves for the next month and a half and... Continue Reading…

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