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.
- On our Broadcast Law Blog, we reviewed many of the broadcast issues pending before FCC that could be affected by the transition to Republican leadership as a result of the change in administration because of Tuesday’s presidential election.
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How FCC Regulation of Broadcasters May Change in a New Administration – Looking at the Pending Issues
With the election over, broadcasters and their Washington representatives are now trying to decipher what the next administration will have in store at the FCC and other government agencies that regulate the media. Already, the DC press is speculating about who will assume what positions in the government agencies that make these decisions. While those speculations will go on for weeks,
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RMLC Announces Arbitration Decision on SESAC Royalties for Commercial Radio Stations for 2023-2026
In a Press Release issued on November 1, the Radio Music License Committee announced the results of its arbitration with SESAC. Despite the arbitrators’ decision that rates for commercial radio broadcasters are going up modestly, RMLC declared the decision a win. How can an increase in royalties be a win? Let’s provide some background on this decision and why the radio industry may breathe a sigh of relief.
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November 2024 Regulatory Dates for Broadcasters: AM Stations Need to Adjust to the End of Daylight Savings Time, Deadline for Aural Description of Visual Emergency Alerts for TV, Final Rules for FM Zonecasting, and More
With much of everyone’s focus on the outcome of the November 5 general election, broadcasters can’t forget the regulatory dates and deadlines in November and early December. While the dates and deadlines in November are lighter than in many other months, many routine deadlines do fall in early December, and even the upcoming month does have dates worthy of note.
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This Week in Regulation for Broadcasters: October 21, 2024 to October 25, 2024
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 National Association of Broadcasters denounced recent threats to revoke broadcast station licenses for political reasons, stating: “The threat from any politician to revoke a broadcast license simply because they disagree with the station’s content undermines [the] basic freedom .
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FCC Announces Second EEO Audit of 2024 – 150 Radio and TV Stations Targeted
On Friday, the FCC released another EEO audit notice for 2024. The FCC’s Public Notice, audit letter, and the list of the 150 radio and TV stations selected for audit is available here. Those stations, and the station employment units (commonly owned or controlled stations serving the same area sharing at least one employee) with which they are associated,
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FCC Opens Window for Filing for 12 New Noncommercial TV Stations While Other Commercial Filing Windows on Hold
The FCC last week released a Public Notice announcing the opening of a filing window for parties interested in building new noncommercial TV stations at 12 communities in the following states: Alabama, Alaska, California, Idaho, Iowa, New Mexico, Oregon, Texas, and Virginia. Applications by nonprofit educational organizations can be filed in a window opening on December 4 and ending at 6 PM Eastern Time on December 11.
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This Week in Regulation for Broadcasters: October 14, 2024 to October 18, 2024
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 Enforcement Bureau released its second EEO audit notice for 2024. Audited stations and their station employment units (commonly owned stations serving the same area) must provide to the FCC their last two years of EEO Annual Public File Reports and other documentation showing that the stations complied with the FCC’s EEO rules.
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This Week in Regulation for Broadcasters: October 7, 2024 to October 11, 2024
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 the opening of a filing window for construction permits for new noncommercial TV stations in certain locations in Alabama,
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Broadcasters Should Evaluate Attack Ads for Liability Concerns in the Final Weeks Before the November Election
With less than a month to go before the November election, we can expect more and more attack ads, some of which may lead to cease and desist letters from the candidate being attacked. These letters can raise the risk of defamation claims against broadcasters and cable companies when the ads are not bought by candidates. The use of artificial intelligence in such ads raises the prospect of even nastier attack ads,
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This Week in Regulation for Broadcasters: September 30, 2024 to October 4, 2024
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 Public Safety and Homeland Security Bureau announced that the deadline for EAS Participants to file their annual Emergency Alert System Test Reporting System (ETRS) Form One is extended to October 18 in order to reduce burdens on EAS Participants that are recovering from the damage caused by Hurricane Helene.
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This Week in Regulation for Broadcasters: September 23, 2024 to September 27, 2024
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 Report and Order permitting digital FM radio stations to operate at different power levels on their upper and lower digital sidebands and clarifying that.
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