As the holiday season comes to an end and 2022 comes into focus, broadcasters have several dates and deadlines to keep up with in January and early February. We have noted below some of the important dates you should be tracking. However, as always, stay in touch with your station’s lawyers and other regulatory advisors… Continue Reading…
This Week in Regulation for Broadcasters – December 11, 2021 to December 17, 2021
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. Music licensing organization Global Music Rights (GMR) has agreed to a three-month extension of its current interim licensing agreement. GMR… Continue Reading…
Another GMR Extension Offered for Commercial Radio Music Licenses – And a Possibility of a Settlement of the Litigation with the RMLC?
According to a joint letter posted on the Radio Music License Committee (RMLC) website, GMR and the RMLC are discussing a settlement of their long-running litigation over the royalties that the commercial radio industry will pay for the public performance of music written by GMR composers. We last wrote about GMR here when, earlier this… Continue Reading…
Candidate Filing Deadline for the Primaries in the Texas 2022 Elections Just Passed – What Should Your Station, No Matter Where It Is, Be Doing to Prepare for the Coming Election Advertising Deluge?
The deadline for 2022 candidates in Texas to file for a place on the March 1 primary ballot was this past Monday. Deadlines in other states will follow during the first part of 2022. As a result, broadcast stations and cable companies in Texas are already dealing with legally qualified candidates, and the FCC political… Continue Reading…
Auction of New Over-the-Air Full-Power TV Stations to Occur in 2022 – First New TV Stations in More than a Decade
An auction of construction permits for 27 new TV stations is scheduled to occur in June 2022, as we noted in one of our weekly updates on regulatory activities for broadcasters. This auction will be the first auction of new TV channels in over a decade – and the first in over a decade and… Continue Reading…
This Week in Regulation for Broadcasters: December 4, 2021 to December 10, 2021
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. FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel was confirmed by the Senate to serve a new, five-year term. (Rosenworcel Statement) She will continue… Continue Reading…
FCC Forum on Accessibility of Online Video Programming – Looking Beyond the Regulation of Broadcasters
On December 2, 2021, the FCC held a forum on the accessibility of video programming delivered through online platforms (a recording of the event is available on the FCC website, here). What is perhaps most notable about this forum is that it looked at whether the FCC could extend its authority over online platforms to… Continue Reading…
This Week in Regulation for Broadcasters – November 27, 2021 to December 3, 2021
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. FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel’s nomination for another five-year term at the agency was approved by the Senate Commerce Committee. The… Continue Reading…
Dr. Oz Decides to Run for the Senate – What to Do When Your On-Air Employee Decides to Run for Public Office
On Tuesday, we were deluged with press inquiries about Dr. Oz’s declaration that he was going to seek the open US Senate seat in Pennsylvania – with many questions as to whether his syndicated television program would subject stations that aired it to equal time obligations. The Doctor avoided issues for stations by immediately terminating… Continue Reading…
December Regulatory Dates for Broadcasters: Ownership Reports, License Renewal Filings, EEO Filings and Reporting, Ancillary or Supplementary Service Fees, Political Advertising Reports, and More
While Thanksgiving is in the rearview mirror and the holiday season is upon us, broadcasters cannot ignore the regulatory world until the new year, as much is going on in December. Below are some of the several important regulatory dates and deadlines in the coming month that you may need to deal with before the… Continue Reading…
This Week in Regulation for Broadcasters: November 20, 2021 to November 26, 2021
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. In the last two weeks, many stations have discovered that links to their FCC-hosted online public inspection file no longer… Continue Reading…
This Week in Regulation for Broadcasters: November 13, 2021 to November 19, 2021
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 Senate Commerce Committee this week held a hearing on the nomination of FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel for another five-year… Continue Reading…
