must carry election

October Regulatory Dates for Broadcasters – Nationwide EAS Test, Annual EEO Public File Reports, Retransmission Consent Elections, Biennial Ownership Reports, and More (If the Government is Open)

By David Oxenford|2023-09-28T10:13:07-05:00September 28th, 2023|Legal News|

On paper, this October appears to be a busy month for regulatory deadlines. But the lack of congressional action to fund the federal government for the coming year (or “continuing resolutions” adopted to allow government agencies to function at their current levels) is making a federal government shutdown appear inevitable. If a government shutdown does... Continue Reading…

September Regulatory Dates for Broadcasters – Regulatory Fees, HD Radio Power Increase Comments, EAS Filings, and Preparation for Many October Deadlines

By David Oxenford and Robert Primosch|2023-08-28T10:50:56-05:00August 28th, 2023|Legal News|

On the surface, September appears to have few scheduled regulatory filing dates and deadlines. But it is period in which many broadcasters will be busy with deadlines that occur in early October and into the rest of the Fall. TV stations should be finishing their decision-making on must-carry/retransmission consent elections, which need to be in... Continue Reading…

October Regulatory Dates for Broadcasters: License Renewals, EEO Reports, Carriage Elections, Quarterly Issues/Programs Lists and More

By David Oxenford and Adam Sandler|2020-09-29T09:18:39-05:00September 29th, 2020|Legal News|

In many parts of the country, the air is turning crisp, the leaves are changing color, and kids are back in school (in some form), making it the perfect time to get caught up with regulatory dates and deadlines coming in October. This is an unusual month where there are several routine regulatory deadlines –... Continue Reading…

FCC Proposes $512,228 in Fines to TV Stations for Violating Rules Requiring Good Faith Negotiation of Retransmission Consent Agreements

By David Oxenford|2020-09-21T11:06:43-05:00September 21st, 2020|Legal News|

With the October 1 deadline coming up for retransmission consent/must carry elections, and the likely commencement of many retransmission consent negotiations throughout the country, the FCC last week issued a decision that emphasizes the importance of “good faith” retransmission consent negotiations. In this action, the full Commission denied an Application for Review that sought to... Continue Reading…

FCC Reminder to TV Stations – July 31 Deadline for Adding to Their Public File Contacts for Must-Carry/Retransmission Consent Communications

By David Oxenford|2020-07-17T09:24:20-05:00July 17th, 2020|Legal News|

Broadcast TV stations have until July 31, 2020 to upload to their public file a phone number and email address to be used for receiving signal carriage notices and questions. This information must be kept current and will be used in the must-carry and retransmission consent carriage election statements that must be uploaded by stations to their online... Continue Reading…

Must-Carry and Retransmission Consent Notices Going Electronic – TV and MVPDs Required to Update Public File Contact Information by July 31

By David Oxenford|2020-03-06T11:12:59-06:00March 6th, 2020|Legal News|

Notifications about cable carriage have now gone electronic – and contact people at stations and MVPDs for notices about carriage issues are now to be provided in the FCC-hosted online public inspection file and in the Cable Operations and Licensing System (COALS). According to an FCC Public Notice released last week, in those databases there... Continue Reading…

Effective Date of New Rules for Email Notices of Retransmission Consent/Must Carry Elections October 29, 2019

By David Oxenford|2019-09-09T11:14:03-05:00September 9th, 2019|Legal News|

Just before Labor Day, the FCC published in the Federal Register the new rules regarding notice of Must Carry and Retransmission Consent elections. Those rules, as we summarized in more detail here, provide that, before the next election cycle deadline on October 1, 2020, TV stations need to provide notice in their online public files... Continue Reading…

Sometimes, a Rule Means Just What it Says – FCC Denies TV Station Satellite Must-Carry Request Because it Was Not Sent By Certified Mail

By David Oxenford|2018-01-25T11:25:42-06:00January 25th, 2018|Legal News|

In looking at today’s deregulatory FCC, one might think that the Commission would look to the intent of a rule, rather than focusing on the details of the language implementing that rule. But in the case of a San Francisco TV station asking to be carried on DISH’s satellite television system pursuant to the rule...… Continue Reading

September Regulatory Dates for Broadcasters – Including Reg Fees, Nationwide EAS Test, Must-Carry Letters, Lowest Unit Rate, Translator and Repack Deadlines and GMR License Extension

By David Oxenford|2017-08-25T10:27:11-05:00August 25th, 2017|Legal News|

Summer is coming to an end, but the legal obligations never take a vacation, and September brings another list of regulatory deadlines for broadcasters. While the month is one of those without the usual list of EEO Public File obligations or quarterly FCC filing obligations, there still are a number of other regulatory deadlines for...… Continue Reading