From Broadcast Law Blog

Here are some of the regulatory developments of significance to broadcasters from the past week, with links to where you can go to find more information as to how these actions may affect your operations.

• In Trump v. Slaughter, the U.S. Supreme Court affirmed the President’s power to remove independent federal agency heads by upholding his firing of an FTC Commissioner—a decision seemingly giving the President the power to fire members of most Congressionally created “independent agencies” that exercise executive duties including interpreting and administering laws. 

At its regular monthly open meeting last week, the FCC adopted an Order meant to enhance the security of the Emergency Alerting System.  Citing past hacks of the system that have resulted in false EAS alerts being transmitted to the public by broadcast stations, the FCC proposed in 2022 that broadcasters adopt a comprehensive cybersecurity plan with an annual filing requirement detailing how risks were managed and controlled (see our article here). 

The lazy days of summer provide little respite from the regulatory actions of importance to broadcasters.  July brings quarterly requirements including, most importantly, the obligation to upload Quarterly Issues/Programs Lists to a station’s online public file.  Also in July, eligible applicants may also begin drafting their applications for new noncommercial educational (NCE) FM translator stations to be filed in the mid-August filing window. 

Here are some of the regulatory developments of significance to broadcasters from the past week, with links to where you can go to find more information as to how these actions may affect your operations.

• The FCC’s Media Bureau released a Public Notice announcing that applications for new noncommercial Reserved Band (88.1 to 91.9 MHz) FM translators can be filed during a window between 12:01 a.m.,

In January, the FCC announced it would be opening a filing opportunity for new FM translators to operate in the FM Reserved Band (88.1-91.9 MHz) (see our article here).  Applications can only be filed by existing noncommercial station operators.  Subsequently, the FCC’s Media Bureau announced that applicants would be limited to 10 applications nationwide – and low power FM operators would be allowed to file for only 2 translators (4 if they were a Tribal group)(see our article here). 

Here are some of the regulatory developments of significance to broadcasters from the past week, with links to where you can go to find more information as to how these actions may affect your operations.

• The House Judiciary Committee held a hearing titled “Examining the Sports Broadcasting Act.”  The hearing featured testimony from several industry members and government officials,

Here are some of the regulatory developments of significance to broadcasters from the past week, with links to where you can go to find more information as to how these actions may affect your operations.

• The FCC released a draft Report and Order and Further Notice of Proposed Rulemaking which, if adopted at its June 25 Open Meeting,

Here are some of the regulatory developments of significance to broadcasters from the past week, with links to where you can go to find more information as to how these actions may affect your operations.

• The FCC’s Media Bureau released a Public Notice reminding broadcasters that new foreign government sponsored programming identification requirements take effect on June 7. 

This week, the FCC’s Media Bureau released a Public Notice to remind broadcasters that new foreign sponsorship identification requirements go into effect June 7, 2026.  These rules clarify the existing obligations of broadcasters to determine whether buyers of program time on a station are foreign governments or their representatives.  The obligation to get certifications from buyers of program time  as to whether they are foreign governments or their agents has actually have been in effect since 2022 (see our article here). 

Though school may be letting out for many, the FCC does not take a summer recess.  Instead, regulation continues with the filing of Annual EEO Public File Reports due for some broadcasters on June 1.  There are also several other regulatory and comment deadlines coming up this June, including the deadline for all commercial full power TV, Class A TV,

Here are some of the regulatory developments of significance to broadcasters from the past week, with links to where you can go to find more information as to how these actions may affect your operations.

• The language of the AM Radio for Every Vehicle Act, which would mandate the inclusion of AM radios in all cars sold in the United States,

Several recent broadcast trade press articles summarized a Public Notice released this past week by the FCC’s Media Bureau.  The Notice deals with the processing of certain broadcast applications when a licensee has a pending “remedial” petition for declaratory ruling seeking to correct noncompliance with the Commission’s foreign ownership rules.  The articles suggest that the Public Notice would have wide impact,