Last week, the FCC issued a hearing designation order, sending to an Administrative Law Judge the question of whether an AM station’s license renewal application should be granted. The hearing seeks to gather evidence as to whether the renewal should be granted despite the station’s record, under its current licensee, where it was operating for… Continue Reading…
This Week in Regulation for Broadcasters: March 6, 2021 to March 12, 2021
Here are some of the regulatory developments of the last week of significance to broadcasters, with links to where you can go to find more information as to how these actions may affect your operations. The FCC’s Enforcement Bureau reminded stations of their obligation to comply with all sponsorship identification rules and to disclose information… Continue Reading…
March Madness Trademarks: Tips To Avoid A Foul Call from the NCAA (2021 Update – Part 2)
Yesterday, I wrote about the history of the NCAA’s assembling of the rights to an array of trademarks associated with this month’s basketball tournament. Today, I will provide some examples of the activities that can bring unwanted NCAA attention to your operations.
Activities that May Result in a Demand Letter from the NCAA
The NCAA acknowledges that media entities can sell advertising that accompanies the entity’s coverage of the NCAA championships. …
March Madness Trademarks: Tips To Avoid A Foul Call from the NCAA (2021 Update – Part 1)
Part 1 of my 2020 annual update on the use of trademarks associated with the NCAA Basketball Tournament was published on the same day that the NCAA announced it was cancelling the tournament due to the pandemic. Fortunately for all concerned (the players, fans, the NCAA and the broadcasters), it appears that the tournament will proceed as scheduled, with the first men’s games beginning on March 18 and the first women’s games beginning on March 21. …
This Week in Regulation for Broadcasters – February 27, 2021 to March 5, 2021
Here are some of the regulatory developments of the last week of significance to broadcasters, with links to where you can go to find more information as to how these actions may affect your operations. Global Music Rights (GMR) has offered commercial radio stations an extension of their interim license for the public performance of… Continue Reading…
FCC Reminds Analog LPTV/TV Translators of July 13 Digital Transition Deadline – Extensions Due by March 15
In a Public Notice, the FCC has reminded all analog LPTV stations and TV translators that they need to convert to digital by July 13, 2021 or cease operations. The Notice reminds operators of these stations that, if they cannot meet the July 13 deadline, they can request an extension by March 15. Upon a… Continue Reading…
FCC Notes Violations for Two LPFM Operators for Spurious Emissions – Make Sure that Your Station is Transmitting Only Within Its Assigned Frequency
In two Notices of Violation issued on one day this week, an FCC Field Office cited Low Power FM operators for using transmission systems that, in addition to transmitting signals on their authorized channels, were also emitting signals on other channels that posed the potential for interference with other users on those other frequencies –… Continue Reading…
GMR Offers to Extend Its Interim License With Commercial Radio Stations – But It Wants a 20% Increase in Royalty Payments
Global Music Rights, one of the newest performing rights organization licensing the public performance of musical compositions, has agreed to extend its interim license with commercial radio broadcasters. That license is set to expire at the end of March (see our article here). This interim license has been offered and extended for the last several… Continue Reading…
Everyone Seems to Want to Regulate Online Media – But Can They? Setting the Stage- Looking at the Range of Regulatory Proposals
In recent months, we have seen concerted attempts to reign in digital and social media from all along the political spectrum – from Washington, in the states and even internationally. We thought that we would look at some of those efforts and their motivations today. We will look at many of these issues in more… Continue Reading…
FCC To Consider Emergency Alert System Changes and Evaluate the Ability of Streaming Services to Participate in EAS
At its March 17 monthly Open Meeting, the FCC will consider a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking seeking to modify certain aspects of the Emergency Alert System used by many of those regulated by the FCC including broadcasters, cable companies, and wireless communications devices such as mobile phones. The FCC is reviewing these issues as required… Continue Reading…
This Week in Broadcast Regulation: February 20, 2021 to February 26, 2021
Here are some of the regulatory developments of the last week of significance to broadcasters, with links to where you can go to find more information as to how these actions may affect your operations. About 200 radio and television stations have been randomly selected to be audited by the FCC for their EEO compliance…. Continue Reading…
FCC Issues First Broadcast EEO Audit of 2021– Reviewing the Basics of the FCC’s EEO Rules
Yesterday the FCC released another of its regular EEO audit notices (available here), asking over 200 radio and TV stations, and the station employment units with which they are associated (i.e., commonly owned stations serving the same area) , provide to the FCC (by posting the information in their online public inspection file) their EEO Annual Public File… Continue Reading…
