legally qualified candidate

FCC Media Bureau Tells Broadcasters that Candidate Appearances on Talk Programs Could Subject Them to Equal Time Demands – More Review of Such Programs Expected From the FCC

By David Oxenford|2026-01-23T10:16:30-06:00January 23rd, 2026|Legal News|

The FCC’s Media Bureau, in a Public Notice released this week, provided guidance that changed the common interpretation of one of the fundamental principles of political broadcasting law for the last thirty years – that a candidate appearance on a regularly scheduled talk program subject to broadcaster control was not subject to equal opportunities claims... Continue Reading…

Getting Ready for the 2026 Election – Steps Broadcasters Should Be Taking Now to Avoid Legal Issues with Political Broadcasting

By David Oxenford|2025-12-11T11:06:22-06:00December 11th, 2025|Legal News|

The deadline for candidates in Texas to file for a place on the March 3 primary ballot was this week. Deadlines for filing to become a qualified candidate in other states will follow soon for other primaries that occur in March, and then throughout the first part of 2026. As a result, broadcast stations and... Continue Reading…

Broadcaster’s Legal Considerations for Early Season Political Ads

By David Oxenford|2023-09-22T10:06:47-05:00September 22nd, 2023|Legal News|

With the 2024 election looming, broadcasters are already receiving requests for political advertising time, from PACs and other issue groups, and from both established candidates and newcomers eager to make an early splash to enhance their public standing. Some of these potential buyers advance unique policy positions and, sometimes, unusual ad buying strategies. How are... Continue Reading…

Watch for Congressional “Franking” Ads in the Last Weeks Before the Pre-Election Period – The FCC Political Broadcasting Implications

By David Oxenford|2022-08-24T10:14:37-05:00August 24th, 2022|Legal News|

We have been receiving numerous calls from broadcasters about “franking” ads from Congressional representatives running for reelection. Congress each year allows its members to spend certain amounts of money to communicate with their constituents. This was traditionally done through mailings, which Congressional representatives could send through the US mail without any postage charges (hence the... Continue Reading…

This Week in Regulation for Broadcasters: March 5, 2022 to March 11, 2022

By David Oxenford and Adam Sandler|2022-03-13T09:19:38-05:00March 13th, 2022|Legal News|

Here are some of the regulatory developments of significance to broadcasters from the last week, and a look ahead to events of importance next week, with links to where you can go to find more information as to how these actions may affect your operations. The Media Bureau this week released the first of what... Continue Reading…

This Week in Regulation for Broadcasters: February 5, 2022 to February 11, 2022

By David Oxenford|2022-02-13T10:01:55-06:00February 13th, 2022|Legal News|

Here are some of the regulatory developments of significance to broadcasters from the last week, with links to where you can go to find more information as to how these actions may affect your operations. Global Music Rights (GMR) and the Radio Music Licensing Committee (RMLC) announced that enough broadcasters had agreed to GMR licensing... Continue Reading…

This Week in Regulation for Broadcasters: January 22, 2022 to January 28, 2022

By David Oxenford and Adam Sandler|2022-01-29T18:15:40-06:00January 29th, 2022|Legal News|

Here are some of the regulatory developments of significance to broadcasters from the last week, with links to where you can go to find more information as to how these actions may affect your operations. The FCC adopted two items of interest to broadcasters that were on the agenda for its January 27 Open Meeting.... Continue Reading…

This Week in Regulation for Broadcasters: January 22, 2022 to January 28, 2022

By David Oxenford and Adam Sandler|2022-01-29T18:15:40-06:00January 29th, 2022|Legal News|

Here are some of the regulatory developments of significance to broadcasters from the last week, with links to where you can go to find more information as to how these actions may affect your operations. The FCC adopted two items of interest to broadcasters that were on the agenda for its January 27 Open Meeting.... Continue Reading…

This Week in Regulation for Broadcasters: January 15, 2022 to January 21, 2022

By David Oxenford|2022-01-23T09:50:57-06:00January 23rd, 2022|Legal News|

Here are some of the regulatory developments of significance to broadcasters from the last week, with links to where you can go to find more information as to how these actions may affect your operations. The FCC issued a Public Notice urging all communications companies to take steps to ensure the security of their facilities... Continue Reading…