In September 2017, the FCC adopted new rules making AM proofs of performance easier to conduct for many stations. We summarized the changes here, and wrote about the FCC’s adoption of these changes here. The FCC yesterday released a Public Notice announcing that these rules have completed the review process under the Paperwork Reduction Act,…
Senate Subcommittee Hearing on the Hawai’i False Missile Alert
The Senate Subcommittee on Communications, Technology, Innovation and the Internet has scheduled a next month on the Hawai’i False Missile Alert. Witnesses include officials from the FCC, FEMA, PACCOM, Hawai’i Emergency Management and the Hawai’i Association of Broadcasters. The hearing, scheduled for April 5, at 10 AM HST, will be available on the Senate Commerce Committee’s website,  https://www.commerce.senate.gov/
More information is available on the Subcommittee’s website at:
https://www.commerce.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/hearings?ID=A01CA3A3-8F20-4E21-AD4C-BB6CADDFF832…
FCC Announces Dates for Submitting “Long-Form” Applications by AM Stations that Filed for New FM Translators in Second Translator Window
The FCC yesterday released a Public Notice announcing a filing window from April 18 through May 9 for “long-form” applications for new translators that were filed in the January 2018 window for Class A and B AM stations to seek new FM translators to rebroadcast their stations. The Public Notice also sets out the procedures for filing in this window.…
Nevada On The Air
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Nevada Broadcasters Foundation Accepts Generous Donation
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Nevada Broadcasters Foundation – News Release
March 14, 2018
GARY AND DEBBIE ACKERMAN MAKE GENEROUS DONATION
TO THE NEVADA BROADCASTERS FOUNDATION’S
TONY AND LINDA BONNICI BROADCASTING SCHOLARSHIP FUND
Las Vegas-2017 marked a memorable year for Tony and Linda Bonnici.  Together since high school, the couple celebrated their 40th wedding anniversary and celebrated their 60th birthdays. 
Gary and Debbie Ackerman,…
Ray Baum Act Passes in House
Courtesy of InsideRadio.com
Radio stations hit by the upcoming repack of television spectrum are one step closer to securing federal dollars to offset their costs related to the process. The House unanimously approved a bill (H.R. 4986) Tuesday that would create the FM Broadcast Station Relocation Fund. The pool of money could be tapped by owners of FMs and FM translators to help stations build back-up facilities or cover lost advertising revenue when forced to go dark while engineers are working on a co-located TV antenna.…
FCC Chairman Pai Unveils $954 Million Plan to Restore and Expand Networks in Puerto Rico and U.S. Virgin Islands
For Immediate Release 
CHAIRMAN PAI UNVEILS $954 MILLION PLAN TO RESTORE AND EXPAND NETWORKS IN PUERTO RICO AND U.S. VIRGIN ISLANDS
Uniendo a Puerto Rico Fund (Bringing Puerto Rico Together Fund) and 
Connect USVI Fund Would Improve Connectivity for Resident 
WASHINGTON, March 6, 2018—Federal Communications Commission Chairman Ajit Pai today proposed to direct approximately $954 million toward restoring and expanding communications networks in Puerto Rico and the U.S.…
2018 State Leadership Conference in Washington D.C.
Nevada Broadcasters Association President Mitch Fox and Vice President Eric Bonnici accompanied a group of Nevada broadcasters to Washington DC to advocate on behalf of our industry on such issues as the Broadcast Relocation Fund, the Radio Performance Tax, Retransmission Consent and the Microsoft Spectrum Grab. The group met with House Members Dina Titus and Mark Amodei, U.S. Senators Dean Heller and Catherine Cortez Masto and staff from the offices of House Members Ruben Kihuen and Jacky Rosen.…
FCC Announces Long-Form Application Deadline for AM Stations that Resolved Mutually Exclusive Situations in First Translator Window
The FCC yesterday released a Public Notice announcing a filing window from March 14 to March 28 for “long-form” applications for new translators that were filed in last summer’s window for Class C and D AM stations to seek new FM translators to rebroadcast their stations. The Public Notice also sets the procedures for filing in this window. The window is for the filing of complete Form 349 applications by applicants who were deemed mutually exclusive in a notice released by the Commission last year (see our article here) but who were able to work out a settlement or technical solution to that mutual exclusivity in the window at the end of last year for resolving such conflicts.…
Another Media Regulation Modernization Proposal – Abandon the Form 397 EEO Mid-Term Report (Though Maintain the EEO Performance Review)
At its meeting yesterday, the FCC adopted a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking suggesting the abolition of the EEO Mid-Term Report, FCC Form 397. That form is filed at the mid-point of the renewal term of TV stations with 5 or more full-time employees and radio clusters with 11 or more full-time employees (see our post here about the form).…
FCC LMS Filing System Off-Line for Maintenance For Parts of This Weekend – Making Biennial Ownership Report Filings More Difficult
Note, for all of you who are trying to complete your Biennial Ownership Reports that are due for commercial and noncommercial stations on March 2 (see our post here about the March 2 filing date), the FCC yesterday posted a notice on the log-in screen for its LMS electronic database, in which the ownership reports are filed,…
Court of Appeals Denies Rehearing on Multilingual EAS Obligations for Broadcasters
As we wrote here, MMTC (a DC-based public interest group) had petitioned the US Court of Appeals for a Rehearing on its decision (about which we wrote here) upholding the FCC decision deciding not to impose any multilingual EAS obligations on broadcasters. The full Court of Appeals has just issued a one sentence order denying that reconsideration request.…


