Broadcast Law Blog

FEBRUARY 17, 2019

On Friday, the FCC issued its first EEO audit of almost 300 radio and TV stations across the country (see the model audit letter and list of stations affected here ), the day after announcing its intent to abolish the Form 397 EEO Mid-Term Report (see our articles here and here ). If a station that is being audited is involved in an LMA with another broadcaster, the audit may require that the broker provide employment information as well as the licensee.

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Media Law Prof Blog

AUGUST 16, 2017

Lake Isabella/Mount Pleasant, Michigan, radio station WRAX-FM has surrendered its license to operate to the FCC, before the agency held a scheduled hearing on whether the station's license should be renewed.

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Broadcast Law Blog

OCTOBER 11, 2018

In last week’s Further Notice, the FCC followed up on ideas that it floated in 2016 in a prior order in the AM revitalization proceeding (see our articles here and here ) suggesting that protections afforded to Class A AM stations be lessened in order to allow increased power by other more localized AM stations. Obviously, station owners who hold Class A licenses do not believe that the service provided by these stations should be impeded.

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THR, Esq. Entertainment & Media Law Blog

NOVEMBER 30, 2017

A magistrate judge potentially deals a blow to some 10,000 radio stations fighting licensing demands over songs by Bruce Springsteen, Prince, and Bruno Mars, among other superstars. read more. THR, Esq. Business Music Business THR Online

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Broadcast Law Blog

AUGUST 16, 2018

I was in the audience for the Chairman’s remarks, and audience reaction was muted – perhaps because so few people regularly use the term “Class A AM” when referring to what many call the “clear channel” stations – those big 50 kW AM stations that can often be heard halfway across the country at night because of their “skywave” service bouncing off the atmosphere to be received hundreds and sometimes thousands of miles from where the signal originates.

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Broadcast Law Blog

OCTOBER 2, 2018

Only three weeks ago, we wrote about an application for experimental authority filed by an AM station operator in Arizona, seeking permission to cease operating its AM station for a one year test to operate solely with its paired FM translator. The FCC found that no new technology was proposed (as everyone knows how an FM translator works) and that any market information about consumer behavior could be gathered while still operating the AM station.

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THR, Esq. Entertainment & Media Law Blog

MARCH 15, 2012

Matthew Belloni Kyle Hunter has filed an employment discrimination lawsuit against CBS Broadcasting and its stations KCBS and KCAL. read more. THR, Esq. THR, Esq. Television Television

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Broadcast Law Blog

AUGUST 29, 2018

The FCC yesterday issued a Declaratory Ruling approving the acquisition of an FM radio station in upstate New York by a company that is 100% controlled by two individuals, neither of whom is a US citizen. This is the third case where the FCC has approved ownership of US broadcast stations by a company 100% owned by foreign citizens (see our articles here and here on earlier cases).

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Broadcast Law Blog

SEPTEMBER 14, 2018

The broadcast trade press was abuzz this morning with a report that an Arizona AM station currently simulcasting its programming on an FM translator has asked the FCC for permission to conduct a test where it would shut down its AM for about a year and operate solely through the FM translator. The NAB has proposed that AM stations no longer be counted in a multiple ownership analysis.

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Broadcast Law Blog

JANUARY 9, 2019

One interesting item on the agenda was a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking to change certain aspects of the criteria used to evaluate applicants for new noncommercial broadcast stations and LPFMs , and the operations of those new stations after a construction permit is issued. Full-power NCE station applicants who are tied in the FCC points system end up in a tie-breaker process (see, for instance, our article here that discusses the process).

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Broadcast Law Blog

OCTOBER 3, 2018

Earlier this year, there was a settlement window for mutually exclusive applications in the FCC’s application window for new FM translators for Class A and B AM stations. AM Radio FM Translators and LPFM 2003 translator window FM translators for AM stations long form applicationThe FCC yesterday released a list of the applications that are now grantable as a result of conflict resolutions filed during that settlement window.

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Broadcast Law Blog

JULY 12, 2018

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Broadcast Law Blog

FEBRUARY 24, 2017

The FCC yesterday released its first decision approving 100% foreign ownership of a group of US broadcast stations. Very recently, the FCC approved investment by a Cayman Islands based fund of more than 5%, up to 49%, of the ownership in Pandora (which owns a company that holds a radio station). AM Radio FM Radio Multiple Ownership Rules Public Interest Obligations/Localism Television alien ownership foreign ownership of US broadcast stations

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Broadcast Law Blog

SEPTEMBER 14, 2018

The broadcast trade press was abuzz this morning with a report that an Arizona AM station currently simulcasting its programming on an FM translator has asked the FCC for permission to conduct a test where it would shut down its AM for about a year and operate solely through the FM translator. The NAB has proposed that AM stations no longer be counted in a multiple ownership analysis.

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Broadcast Law Blog

OCTOBER 2, 2018

Only three weeks ago, we wrote about an application for experimental authority filed by an AM station operator in Arizona, seeking permission to cease operating its AM station for a one year test to operate solely with its paired FM translator. The FCC found that no new technology was proposed (as everyone knows how an FM translator works) and that any market information about consumer behavior could be gathered while still operating the AM station.

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Broadcast Law Blog

SEPTEMBER 30, 2018

October is one of the busiest months on the broadcast regulatory calendar, as it includes a confluence of routine EEO filing requirements, quarterly filing requirements for Children’s Television Reports, public file uploading for all stations for their Quarterly Issues Programs Lists, a Nationwide EAS test, and comment dates in many FCC proceedings. Make sure that you are aware of these upcoming deadlines, particularly ones that may impact your station’s operations.

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Broadcast Law Blog

NOVEMBER 26, 2018

As we have written before, the next license renewal cycle begins on June 1, 2019 , with radio stations in Maryland, Virginia, West Virginia and the District of Columbia submitting their applications. Earlier this month, I conducted a webinar for several state broadcast associations to help stations in those states start to look at their operations to avoid issues that might otherwise come up in with their license renewals.

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Broadcast Law Blog

SEPTEMBER 30, 2018

October is one of the busiest months on the broadcast regulatory calendar, as it includes a confluence of routine EEO filing requirements, quarterly filing requirements for Children’s Television Reports, public file uploading for all stations for their Quarterly Issues Programs Lists, a Nationwide EAS test, and comment dates in many FCC proceedings. Make sure that you are aware of these upcoming deadlines, particularly ones that may impact your station’s operations.

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THR, Esq. Entertainment & Media Law Blog

MARCH 2, 2017

Joannie Burstein says Leland Orser owes her commission from the Epix series and 'Ray Donovan.' read more. THR, Esq. Television Television THR Online

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Broadcast Law Blog

JULY 7, 2017

One of the lesser highlighted concerns of the repacking of the TV band into channels 36 and below following the recent incentive auction has been the impact of the repacking on radio stations. As TV stations need to shuffle channels to fit into the smaller TV band as the upper TV channels are repurposed for wireless uses, there will be many situations where there will be tower climbers and other tower work to accomplish the required TV channel changes.

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Broadcast Law Blog

JULY 21, 2017

Developments continue, with the FCC yesterday issuing a Public Notice announcing that stations that relinquished their spectrum in the incentive auction will be receiving their payouts from the proceeds of the auction – with such payouts beginning immediately as they can be processed by the Treasury Department. The Public Notice also details the process for these stations to cease operating on their current channels.

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Broadcast Law Blog

NOVEMBER 27, 2018

A topic not much discussed among broadcasters, but one that should be paramount in the future planning of all broadcast companies, is insuring the security of their stations and the safety of their employees. While many might think that security issues won’t arise at their stations, in fact it can be an issue at any station in any market. While police investigated the incident, station employees could not get into their building to operate the station.

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Broadcast Law Blog

JUNE 17, 2017

The FCC’s public notice announcing the commencement of the audit includes the audit letter that was sent to all of the targeted stations. The list of about 80 radio stations subject to the audit is here. As employment information for all stations within a named station’s “employment unit” must be provided in response to the audit, the reach of this notice goes beyond the 80 stations named in the audit notices.

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THR, Esq. Entertainment & Media Law Blog

FEBRUARY 17, 2012

Eriq Gardner TV stations almost always have to run attack ads. Truth is not a factor. read more. THR, Esq. Television Television Mitt Romney Newt Gingrich Politics

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Broadcast Law Blog

MARCH 16, 2017

We wrote here and here about the FCC’s new rules to relax the limits on where licensees of AM stations can use FM translators to rebroadcast their stations. The new rules allow the location of these translators so that their 1 mv/m coverage area does not extend beyond 25 miles from the AM station or beyond the AM station’s 2 mv/m contour – whichever is greater. AM Radio FM Translators and LPFM FM translators for AM stations

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Broadcast Law Blog

JULY 14, 2017

The FCC yesterday released an online tutorial for the upcoming windows for filing for FM translators for AM stations. The first window will run from July 26 until 6 pm ET on August 2, where Class C and D AM stations that did not receive a translator in last year’s 250-mile waiver windows can file for a new FM translator to rebroadcast their AM station. AM Radio FM Translators and LPFM AM on FM translators FM translators for AM stations

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Broadcast Law Blog

MAY 5, 2017

Earlier this week, we wrote about a number of proceedings affecting FM translators , including the Petition for Reconsideration (available here ) of the FCC decision relaxing the rules governing the locations at which AM stations using FM translators to rebroadcast their signal can locate those translators (see our summary here ). As many AM stations with FM translators have already filed applications relying on the new rules, there are bound to be oppositions to this petition.

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Broadcast Law Blog

AUGUST 4, 2017

The FCC yesterday took what some may suggest is an unprecedented action to potentially deny the license renewal of an FM broadcast station that was silent for all but one day each year during its license renewal term. As the FCC points out, if the station is not operating, it cannot fulfill the obligation of a licensee to serve the public interest.

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Music Technology Policy

AUGUST 10, 2014

Jann singled out the AMP radio station in Calgary, which is one of 100 or so stations owned by the Newcap Radio chain in Canada. Jann indicated in a slightly obscure tweet last week that she’d been banned from the station by “Steve Jones” I just wanted to thank Steve jones for removing me from the #ampradio stations nation wide. This is not the reason that radio stations are given access to the public airways and a license to broadcast. In

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Broadcast Law Blog

DECEMBER 6, 2018

This morning, the FCC has started to email out notices to numerous radio stations throughout the country, notifying them that there are issues with their online public inspection files. Clearly, this is a warning to stations that the FCC is watching their public files, and that compliance problems will bring issues, and possibly fines, if the files are not complete by license renewal time (or even earlier if documents were not timely created).

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Broadcast Law Blog

APRIL 19, 2011

The sale of a noncommercial radio station is often controversial, especially when it's clear that the format of the station will change after the transfer. In a decision released last week denying a Petition to Deny challenging the application for the sale of KTRU, the noncommercial radio station owned by Rice University, the FCC again made clear that they are not in the business of regulating the formats of broadcast stations.

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Broadcast Law Blog

JUNE 2, 2017

The FCC released a Public Notice announcing that its window for Class C and D AM stations to file for new FM translators to rebroadcast their stations will open on July 26. We know that the window will be open to any AM station that did not acquire a translator using a 250 mile waiver in last year’s translator window. AM Radio FM Translators and LPFM 250 mile waiver for translators AM on FM translators FM translators for AM stations

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THR, Esq. Entertainment & Media Law Blog

AUGUST 7, 2009

By Eriq Gardner Local television news isn't exactly known for hard-hitting journalism, so it's no surprise to read that a Cincinnati station featured reports about the act of "sexting," sending sexually explicit come-ons via a cell phone. But WLWT-TV may.

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Broadcast Law Blog

FEBRUARY 15, 2019

The FCC at its meeting yesterday adopted the two broadcast items that it was expected to consider (see our article on the agenda here) – one agreeing to eliminate the FCC Form 397 EEO Mid-Term Report and a second starting a proceeding to reexamine certain aspects of the criteria used to select the applications to be granted for new Noncommercial Educational radio and television and LPFM stations.

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Broadcast Law Blog

FEBRUARY 15, 2019

The FCC at its meeting yesterday adopted the two broadcast items that it was expected to consider (see our article on the agenda here) – one agreeing to eliminate the FCC Form 397 EEO Mid-Term Report and a second starting a proceeding to reexamine certain aspects of the criteria used to select the applications to be granted for new Noncommercial Educational radio and television and LPFM stations.

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Communications And Entertainment Law Blog

AUGUST 18, 2018

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Broadcast Law Blog

AUGUST 9, 2016

In a decision released last week , the FCC made clear that stations that have long periods in which they are not operated (perhaps being put back into operation for a day or two every year to avoid the automatic cancellation of their licenses) are not operating in the public interest , and are putting their license in jeopardy. AM Radio FCC Fines FM Radio General FCC License Renewal Public Interest Obligations/Localism short term license renewal silent station

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Broadcast Law Blog

MAY 14, 2017

At the NAB Convention, Chairman Pai announced that the promised windows for AM stations to apply for new FM translators would open this summer (see our article here ). The first will be for Class C and D AM stations. Once those applications have been filed, a second window will open for Class A and B AM stations. Stations that acquired translators through other means can still apply for a new translator in this window.

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Broadcast Law Blog

AUGUST 3, 2017

The window for filing applications for new FM translators for Class C and D AM stations has now closed. According to a statement from FCC Chairman Pai , over 1000 AM stations took advantage of the filing window. One would think that this will happen principally in spectrum-congested markets where there are multiple AM stations eligible for the auction, but few available channels for translators.

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Broadcast Law Blog

FEBRUARY 4, 2014

In a decision released yesterday , the FCC proposed to fine a station and gave it a short-term license renewal as the station could not demonstrate that it had served the needs and interests of its community. Because the station had been silent for much of the renewal term – only turning on for a short time every now and then – enough to avoid having its license cancelled for being silent for more than a year.

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Broadcast Law Blog

FEBRUARY 18, 2014

Letters to over 280 affected radio and TV stations went out late last week, and the FCC’s Public Notice of the audit, listing all of the affected stations, has just been released. Responses from the audited stations are due to be filed at the FCC by March 31. Licensees should review the list of affected stations carefully to see if any of your stations are on the list. It is a new year, and the FCC is starting with a new round of EEO audits.

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Broadcast Law Blog

NOVEMBER 19, 2018

The FCC has for decades prohibited the “ premature construction ” of broadcast stations – constructing new stations or new facilities for existing stations prior to the issuance of an FCC construction permit. But, last week, the FCC issued a Notice of Apparent Liability proposing to fine an LPFM station licensee $5000 for making changes in its station without prior FCC approval of its pending construction permit application.

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Broadcast Law Blog

SEPTEMBER 8, 2017

We yesterday wrote about Chairman Pai’s promise to start the process of modernizing media regulation by abolishing a simple but outdated rule – one requiring that each broadcast station have a physical copy of the FCC rules on the station premises. AM Radio FCC Fines FM Radio General FCC Television FCC rulesbook at station Modernization of Media Regulation Initiative

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