On Friday, the FCC released its first EEO audit notice for 2025 – and the first to be issued under the new administration at the FCC. The FCC’s Public Notice, audit letter, and the list of the 400 radio and TV stations selected for audit is available here. Those stations, and the station employment units (commonly owned or... Continue Reading…
Here are some of the regulatory developments of significance to broadcasters from this past week, with links to where you can go to find more information as to how these actions may affect your operations. Continue Reading…
The Indiana Broadcasters Association recently asked me five questions to highlight the requirements of the FCC’s EEO rules. As these questions are applicable to all broadcasters, we are posting my response here. My answers are below. Beyond the general requirement that all broadcasters (and all other businesses) avoid discrimination in hiring, promotion, and all other... Continue Reading…
In the last few weeks, we have received several inquiries from broadcasters about the FCC’s enforcement of its requirements that broadcasters conduct non-vacancy specific outreach efforts to educate their communities about broadcast employment opportunities and to train their staff to assume greater responsibility at stations and otherwise assist them in their career development (not to... Continue Reading…
Each week, we summarize some of the regulatory and legal actions of the last week significant to broadcasters – both those from the FCC and those taken elsewhere –with links to where you can go to find more information as to how these actions may affect your operations. Here is this week’s list of significant... Continue Reading…
Earlier this month, the FCC announced another of its regular EEO audits, though this time it’s just for cable systems and other MVPDs who, like broadcasters, have EEO obligations. The FCC will audit 5% of all broadcasters and cable companies each year to assess their EEO compliance, so be prepared in case you are next....… Continue Reading
Last week, I conducted a webinar on the FCC’s EEO rules for 19 state broadcast associations, explaining the issues that broadcasters need to keep in mind to comply with those rules. The slides from my presentation are available here. On the same day, the FCC issued a Public Notice announcing another of their random EEO… Continue Reading
EEO Mid-Term Reports on FCC Form 397 must be filed at the mid-point of the renewal cycle of radio stations if they are part of a station employment unit with more than 10 full-time employees, or 5 or more full-time employees for TV. A station employment unit is one or more commonly-controlled stations serving substantially the… Continue Reading
In a post on the FCC’s blog, Commissioner Michael O’Rielly proposed allowing broadcasters to meet their EEO wide dissemination obligations solely through Internet sources. As we recently wrote, broadcasters need to widely disseminate information about job openings at their stations, using sources that are designed to reach all of the major groups that may exist within [&hellip… Continue Reading