Broadcast Law Blog

APRIL 22, 2021

The FCC released its decision to limit to 10 the number of applications that can be filed by one party in the next window for new noncommercial FM stations in the reserved FM band (those channels below 92.1 Nonprofit, educational parties interested in filing for a new noncommercial FM channel should start now to consult with their engineers and attorneys about the preparations needed to file for that new station in the upcoming window in November.

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Broadcast Law Blog

APRIL 20, 2021

While the pandemic has focused much attention on streaming television services, at least some companies believe that over-the-air television still has a future, as evidenced by recent proposals to allocate new TV channels which, if adopted, could result in brand new TV stations. The lifting of the freeze, which had existed in some form for about 17 years, resulted in many requests for changes in the facilities of existing TV stations. new TV stations Next Gen TV

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Broadcast Law Blog

APRIL 29, 2021

Among other things, the FCC will begin the process of auctioning 140 construction permits for new AM and FM radio stations across the country. These new rules are designed to give broadcast TV stations greater flexibility in the placement of multiple transmitters throughout their protected service area to provide a stronger, more uniform signal throughout their markets. available new FM channels CALM Act distributed transmission systems DTS loud commercials station employment unit

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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

MARCH 14, 2019

Earlier this week, the FCC released an order adopting new rules governing the sale of TV stations serving as “satellites” of other stations in their markets – either rebroadcasting the primary station or otherwise operating in conjunction with that parent station, usually serving rural areas where an independent full-service station cannot economically operate.

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Broadcast Law Blog

APRIL 24, 2019

Earlier this month, the FCC released a Public Notice announcing that companies that are licensees, or have otherwise registered their fixed C Band satellite earth stations in the 3.7 Operators of fixed earth stations who filed registrations last year between April 19 and October 31 using the simplified process that the FCC allowed during that period are exempted from this updating process (see our posts here and here on last year’s window). General FCC C Band earth station

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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. The FCC scheduled that hearing on August 3.

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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

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

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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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

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

FEBRUARY 22, 2019

The first item to be considered deals with LPTV stations and TV translators , as well FM broadcasters – setting out the rules for reimbursement to be paid to these stations for costs they incurred due to the repacking of the television spectrum following the TV incentive auction. At its March 15 meeting, the FCC is scheduled to consider two items dealing with broadcasters, according to a blog post authored by Chairman Pai published yesterday.

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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

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

JULY 8, 2019

The FCC urges that state EAS managers regularly review and send updates to these plans to the FCC at least yearly and urges stations to review the plans to make sure that they comply with their state requirements by monitoring the stations or other sources that they are supposed to monitor to get the emergency information which they relay to the public. All broadcast stations have an obligation to report to the FCC on their ability to receive and retransmit the nationwide test.

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Broadcast Law Blog

APRIL 25, 2021

The FCC adopted a ten-application limit for the upcoming filing window for noncommercial FM radio stations to operate in the reserved band below 92 MHz on the FM band. The Media Bureau also set the dates for the filing of applications for these new noncommercial stations – requiring that they be submitted during a filing window running from 12:01 Eastern Time on Tuesday, November 2, 2021 through 6:00 pm Eastern Time on Tuesday, November 9, 2021.

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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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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

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

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 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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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

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 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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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

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

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

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

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 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

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

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

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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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

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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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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Broadcast Law Blog

FEBRUARY 12, 2015

Letters to over 250 radio and TV stations went out asking for evidence of their compliance with the FCC’s EEO rules. The Commission has pledged to audit 5% of all broadcast stations and cable systems each year to assure their compliance with the Commission’s EEO rules – requiring wide dissemination of information about job openings and non-vacancy specific supplemental efforts to educate their communities about job opportunities in the media industry.

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JetLawBlog

FEBRUARY 11, 2010

View of Earth from the International Space Station. After weather-related delays last Sunday, the space shuttle Endeavour and its six-member crew began its journey to the space station before dawn Monday. Their mission is to deliver the last major module to the space station, which has been under construction since 1998. From the beginning of the space station project, skeptics have wondered why we’re bothering in the first place.

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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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