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 MORE
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. MORE
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. MORE
As we wrote about earlier ( here ), the FCC will hold an auction on March 27, 2012, offering 119 construction permits for new FM radio stations. And even if you are not interested in participating in the upcoming Auction, stations should remember that in connection with Auction 93, the FCC will temporarily freeze the submission of all minor change applications for both commercial and noncommercial FM stations from January 3 through January 12, 2012. MORE
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. MORE
The FCC last week released a Public Notice describing the process for the filing of applications for replacement channels for LPTV stations and TV translators that are displaced by the incentive auction. As the announcement of the window will give LPTV and translator stations 60 days to prepare applications, and the window itself will last 30 days, it looks like we are looking at displacement applications being due late in the first quarter of 2018. MORE
According to Politico , Ted Cruz’ campaign has demanded that TV stations pull certain PAC ads which he claims distort his voting record on immigration issues. Here, Cruz’ representatives apparently don’t threaten lawsuits against the stations for running the ads, but suggest that it is a violation of the stations’ FCC obligations to operate in the public interest to continue to run the ads. What is a station to do when such a claim is received? MORE
Pro-Trump corp targets local news stations as propaganda outlets | MSNBC MORE
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 MORE
The FCC went on to admonish a number of stations for violating the rules but, as the rules were just clarified, only admonished these stations rather than issuing any fines. This decision was in response to complaints filed by the Campaign Legal Center and the Sunlight Foundation alleging the public file omissions of these stations – complaints that we wrote about here. Sponsorship, too, must be complete and understandable to the station viewer or listener. MORE
Does adjusting the loudness and timbre of a sound recording mean indefinite copyright duration, but no ability to stop radio stations from playing it? MORE
Rep Jeff Denham claims he advised TV stations about the falsity of an attack ad about his voting record, but the commercials ran anyway. read more. THR, Esq. Television Politics Business MORE
Univision stations will air on Charter's Spectrum cable service for the next several months while the legal battle proceeds. read more. THR, Esq. Television Television THR Online MORE
The media giant also says allegations against ousted CEO Roger Ailes are "sensationalized and inflammatory." read more. THR, Esq. Television Television THR Online Drew Ailes Roger Ailes MORE
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 MORE
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. MORE
Joannie Burstein says Leland Orser owes her commission from the Epix series and 'Ray Donovan.' read more. THR, Esq. Television Television THR Online MORE
In fact, as we wrote here , the FCC has even allowed 100% ownership of a privately-held company with broadcast interests – where a husband and wife team from Australia purchased a number of primarily radio stations in Alaska and Texas. With the new rules now effective, the opportunity for more foreign investment in US broadcast stations is highlighted once again. MORE
So here are some issues that are on the table at the FCC – starting first with issues affecting all stations, then on to TV and radio issues in separate sections below. . Late this past year, the FCC proposed to reform the rules for contests run by broadcast stations – proposing to allow broadcasters to disclose the material terms of the contest on the Internet, rather than requiring that they be broadcast on the air enough so that a listener is likely to have heard them. MORE
The law exempted from the 150 mile limit those retransmissions done by other broadcast stations. Thus, FM translators, for instance, can rebroadcast their primary station beyond the 150 mile rule without triggering a sound recording performance royalty. The complaint seeks a ruling that all broadcast Internet retransmissions that are limited to an area of less than 150 miles from the station transmitter, be exempt from the SoundExchange royalty fees. MORE
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. MORE
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 MORE
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. MORE
Because Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) has restored cell phone service to commuter stations in the area, the ACLU now says it will probably not file a lawsuit over the agency's actions, and the Electronic Frontier Foundation is "likely" not MORE
At its April meeting, the FCC voted to allow noncommercial stations not affiliated with NPR or CPB to raise funds for third-party nonprofit organizations , even where such fundraising appeals interrupted normal programming, as long as the licensee did not devote more than 1% of its yearly airtime to such appeals. So the change in the rules allowing noncommercial stations to raise funds for third party non-profit organizations is now in effect. MORE
Earlier this week, the FCC announced the first of its post-auction filing windows for TV stations that are forced to abandon their current channels as a result of the repacking of the TV band after the broadcast incentive auction. As a result of the shrinking of the TV band, many TV stations were required to change channels so that all stations could fit into the smaller TV band. MORE
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 MORE
Implying that the advertiser (or your own broadcast station in connection with a promotional event) is somehow affiliated with the big event can raise problems. So stations should avoid these kinds of promotional uses of these phrases. These are newsworthy events that can be discussed on the air, just as your station can discuss the events that surround the new coach for your local NFL football franchise, or the road to the Olympics of the hometown luge participant. MORE
As the repacking of the TV band proceeds after the Incentive Auction , the FCC has issued some guidance as to what comes next for TV stations. Obviously, in the near future, TV stations that agreed to surrender their spectrum in the auction will get notice from the FCC to expect their payments from the proceeds collected from the wireless companies that purchased the repackaged surrendered TV spectrum. MORE
Together with NPR, the public stations also suggest the time might be right to ditch a rule prohibiting the broadcast of lottery drawings. read more. THR, Esq. Business Television Business THR Online MORE
Hardball tactics in a big antitrust lawsuit involving works performed by Taylor Swift, Jay-Z and Madonna prompt a demand for an injunction. read more. THR, Esq. Business Music Business THR Online MORE
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 MORE
The FCC released an order last week giving TV stations an additional 18 months to comply with a requirement that emergency information conveyed to the TV audience during non-news programming in a visual or graphical manner (e.g. on-screen weather maps during entertainment programming) be converted to audio that is broadcast on the TV station’s SAP channel. MORE
The cost of syndicating shows like "House" will get a little cheaper. read more. The Business Music THR Online THR, Esq. Television Business MORE
The plaintiff — a creative director at a news station — claims that a member of the pop superstar's team has acknowleged seeing his work. read more. THR, Esq. The Business Television Music Business THR Online MORE
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. MORE
A noncommercial station can raise funds for nonprofit groups during normal program breaks in PSAs or other similar brief announcements, but under current policy, they cannot conduct a telethon or radiothon to raise funds for the Red Cross, a local charity, a religious organization or even for the football team or orchestra at a college or university that owns a noncommercial broadcast station. MORE
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 MORE
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. MORE
There are more and more signs that the FCC is moving forward aggressively with its “incentive auction ” to purchase TV stations so that their licenses can be cancelled and their spectrum sold to and reused by wireless companies for wireless broadband purposes. a pure surrender of the license, or a surrender of a license as part of a channel sharing agreement, or a decision to move a station from UHF to VHF in exchange for FCC compensation). MORE
Earlier this week, the Campaign Legal Center and Issue One, two political “watchdog” organizations, filed FCC complaints against two Georgia TV stations, alleging violations of the rules that govern the documents that need to be placed into a station’s public inspection file regarding political “issue advertising” (see their press release here , with links to the complaints at the bottom of the release). MORE
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. MORE
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 over 200 radio stations subject to the audit is here. The list of almost 80 TV stations 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 far beyond the 300 stations targeted in the audit notices. MORE
Stations Related Topics 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
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
THR, Esq. Entertainment & Media Law Blog
JULY 24, 2017
Hardball tactics in a big antitrust lawsuit involving works performed by Taylor Swift, Jay-Z and Madonna prompt a demand for an injunction. read more. THR, Esq. Business Music Business THR Online
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.
THR, Esq. Entertainment & Media Law Blog
FEBRUARY 2, 2017
The media giant also says allegations against ousted CEO Roger Ailes are "sensationalized and inflammatory." read more. THR, Esq. Television Television THR Online Drew Ailes Roger Ailes
THR, Esq. Entertainment & Media Law Blog
JANUARY 27, 2015
The cost of syndicating shows like "House" will get a little cheaper. read more. The Business Music THR Online THR, Esq. Television Business
Broadcast Law Blog
JANUARY 9, 2017
The FCC went on to admonish a number of stations for violating the rules but, as the rules were just clarified, only admonished these stations rather than issuing any fines. This decision was in response to complaints filed by the Campaign Legal Center and the Sunlight Foundation alleging the public file omissions of these stations – complaints that we wrote about here. Sponsorship, too, must be complete and understandable to the station viewer or listener.
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.
THR, Esq. Entertainment & Media Law Blog
MARCH 3, 2017
Univision stations will air on Charter's Spectrum cable service for the next several months while the legal battle proceeds. read more. THR, Esq. Television Television THR Online
Broadcast Law Blog
JANUARY 7, 2015
So here are some issues that are on the table at the FCC – starting first with issues affecting all stations, then on to TV and radio issues in separate sections below. . Late this past year, the FCC proposed to reform the rules for contests run by broadcast stations – proposing to allow broadcasters to disclose the material terms of the contest on the Internet, rather than requiring that they be broadcast on the air enough so that a listener is likely to have heard them.
Broadcast Law Blog
NOVEMBER 21, 2016
The FCC released an order last week giving TV stations an additional 18 months to comply with a requirement that emergency information conveyed to the TV audience during non-news programming in a visual or graphical manner (e.g. on-screen weather maps during entertainment programming) be converted to audio that is broadcast on the TV station’s SAP channel.
THR, Esq. Entertainment & Media Law Blog
JUNE 8, 2016
The plaintiff — a creative director at a news station — claims that a member of the pop superstar's team has acknowleged seeing his work. read more. THR, Esq. The Business Television Music Business THR Online
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.
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.
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.
Broadcast Law Blog
DECEMBER 21, 2011
As we wrote about earlier ( here ), the FCC will hold an auction on March 27, 2012, offering 119 construction permits for new FM radio stations. And even if you are not interested in participating in the upcoming Auction, stations should remember that in connection with Auction 93, the FCC will temporarily freeze the submission of all minor change applications for both commercial and noncommercial FM stations from January 3 through January 12, 2012.
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.
THR, Esq. Entertainment & Media Law Blog
JULY 6, 2017
Together with NPR, the public stations also suggest the time might be right to ditch a rule prohibiting the broadcast of lottery drawings. read more. THR, Esq. Business Television Business THR Online
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
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.
THR, Esq. Entertainment & Media Law Blog
APRIL 20, 2016
Does adjusting the loudness and timbre of a sound recording mean indefinite copyright duration, but no ability to stop radio stations from playing it?
Communications And Entertainment Law Blog
AUGUST 8, 2017
Pro-Trump corp targets local news stations as propaganda outlets | MSNBC
Broadcast Law Blog
JULY 19, 2017
As the repacking of the TV band proceeds after the Incentive Auction , the FCC has issued some guidance as to what comes next for TV stations. Obviously, in the near future, TV stations that agreed to surrender their spectrum in the auction will get notice from the FCC to expect their payments from the proceeds collected from the wireless companies that purchased the repackaged surrendered TV spectrum.
Broadcast Law Blog
MAY 8, 2014
The law exempted from the 150 mile limit those retransmissions done by other broadcast stations. Thus, FM translators, for instance, can rebroadcast their primary station beyond the 150 mile rule without triggering a sound recording performance royalty. The complaint seeks a ruling that all broadcast Internet retransmissions that are limited to an area of less than 150 miles from the station transmitter, be exempt from the SoundExchange royalty fees.
Broadcast Law Blog
FEBRUARY 17, 2016
According to Politico , Ted Cruz’ campaign has demanded that TV stations pull certain PAC ads which he claims distort his voting record on immigration issues. Here, Cruz’ representatives apparently don’t threaten lawsuits against the stations for running the ads, but suggest that it is a violation of the stations’ FCC obligations to operate in the public interest to continue to run the ads. What is a station to do when such a claim is received?
Broadcast Law Blog
AUGUST 23, 2017
Earlier this week, the Campaign Legal Center and Issue One, two political “watchdog” organizations, filed FCC complaints against two Georgia TV stations, alleging violations of the rules that govern the documents that need to be placed into a station’s public inspection file regarding political “issue advertising” (see their press release here , with links to the complaints at the bottom of the release).
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
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
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.
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.
Broadcast Law Blog
MAY 17, 2017
The FCC last week released a Public Notice describing the process for the filing of applications for replacement channels for LPTV stations and TV translators that are displaced by the incentive auction. As the announcement of the window will give LPTV and translator stations 60 days to prepare applications, and the window itself will last 30 days, it looks like we are looking at displacement applications being due late in the first quarter of 2018.
Broadcast Law Blog
APRIL 21, 2017
In fact, as we wrote here , the FCC has even allowed 100% ownership of a privately-held company with broadcast interests – where a husband and wife team from Australia purchased a number of primarily radio stations in Alaska and Texas. With the new rules now effective, the opportunity for more foreign investment in US broadcast stations is highlighted once again.
Broadcast Law Blog
JULY 6, 2017
At its April meeting, the FCC voted to allow noncommercial stations not affiliated with NPR or CPB to raise funds for third-party nonprofit organizations , even where such fundraising appeals interrupted normal programming, as long as the licensee did not devote more than 1% of its yearly airtime to such appeals. So the change in the rules allowing noncommercial stations to raise funds for third party non-profit organizations is now in effect.
Media Law Prof Blog
AUGUST 16, 2011
Because Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) has restored cell phone service to commuter stations in the area, the ACLU now says it will probably not file a lawsuit over the agency's actions, and the Electronic Frontier Foundation is "likely" not
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
Broadcast Law Blog
MARCH 31, 2017
A noncommercial station can raise funds for nonprofit groups during normal program breaks in PSAs or other similar brief announcements, but under current policy, they cannot conduct a telethon or radiothon to raise funds for the Red Cross, a local charity, a religious organization or even for the football team or orchestra at a college or university that owns a noncommercial broadcast station.
Broadcast Law Blog
FEBRUARY 9, 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 over 200 radio stations subject to the audit is here. The list of almost 80 TV stations 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 far beyond the 300 stations targeted in the audit notices.
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
Broadcast Law Blog
JANUARY 15, 2014
Implying that the advertiser (or your own broadcast station in connection with a promotional event) is somehow affiliated with the big event can raise problems. So stations should avoid these kinds of promotional uses of these phrases. These are newsworthy events that can be discussed on the air, just as your station can discuss the events that surround the new coach for your local NFL football franchise, or the road to the Olympics of the hometown luge participant.
Broadcast Law Blog
AUGUST 3, 2017
Earlier this week, the FCC announced the first of its post-auction filing windows for TV stations that are forced to abandon their current channels as a result of the repacking of the TV band after the broadcast incentive auction. As a result of the shrinking of the TV band, many TV stations were required to change channels so that all stations could fit into the smaller TV band.
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