Issues/Programs Lists; Online Public File Reminder; Third-Party Fundraising by Noncommercial Broadcasters; Political Requests for Broadcast Time; Class A TV Eligibility; Foreign Government Program Certifications -
By July...more
Cable and DBS operators must submit annual certifications of compliance with commercial limits in children’s programming -
By January 10, 2020, all radio and television broadcast stations, both commercial and...more
Voluntary Conversion to All-Digital AM -
At its November 22 open meeting, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) adopted a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) to allow AM stations to broadcast an all-digital signal...more
The Federal Communications Commission (“FCC”) recently released a Memorandum Opinion and Order (“MO&O”) that both clarifies and increases the public file obligations relating to political ads aired by broadcasters or via...more
By October 10, 2019, all radio and television broadcast stations, both commercial and noncommercial, must prepare a list of important issues facing their communities of license and the programs aired during July, August and...more
The FCC has released its annual Report and Order showing the regulatory fees due for the 2019 fiscal year. Fees must be paid by 11:59 pm Eastern time on September 24, although the FCC‘s Fee Filer is accepting fee payments...more
Every three years, commercial television stations must choose between retransmission consent and mandatory carriage, also known as must-carry status, for the carriage of their broadcast signals on cable and satellite systems...more
At today’s open meeting, the FCC voted 3-2 on party lines to amend its rules that currently require television stations to broadcast specific amounts of educational and informational programming directed to children, also...more
By July 10, 2019, all radio and television broadcast stations, both commercial and noncommercial, must prepare a list of important issues facing their communities of license and the programs aired during April, May and June...more
For the fourth consecutive year, the FCC, in conjunction with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (“FEMA”), will conduct a nationwide test of the Emergency Alert System (“EAS”) on August 7, 2019....more
By April 10, 2019, all radio and television broadcast stations, both commercial and noncommercial, must prepare a list of important issues facing their communities of license, and the programs aired during January, February,...more
The Issues/Programs lists and other quarterly broadcast station filings originally required to be posted online to each station’s public inspection file by January 10, 2019 must now be posted online by February 11, 2019. ...more
By January 10, 2019, all radio and television broadcast stations, both commercial and noncommercial, must prepare a list of important issues facing their communities of license, and the programs aired during October, November...more
In two separate actions this week, the FCC eliminated the requirement that broadcasters and others post station licenses and began a rulemaking proceeding to determine whether certain media ownership rules should be changed...more
Last week the FCC took a major step towards modernizing its broadcast-related filing requirements by eliminating the paper filing requirement of several types of contracts listed in Section 73.3613 of the FCC’s rules. This...more
By October 10, 2018, all radio and television broadcast stations, both commercial and noncommercial, must prepare a list of important issues facing their communities of license, and the programs aired during July, August and...more
We are now within the 60-day political “window” prior to the midterm elections coming up on November 6, 2018. What this means to broadcasters and cable operators is that any legally qualified candidate for public...more
The FCC has released its annual Report and Order showing the regulatory fees due for the 2018 fiscal year. Fees must be paid by 11:59 pm Eastern time on September 25, although the FCC‘s Fee Filer is accepting fee payments...more
Over the past few years the FCC, operating in conjunction with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (“FEMA”), has conducted nationwide Emergency Alert System (“EAS”) tests. As you may recall, the FCC last conducted a...more
By July 10, 2018, all radio and television broadcast stations, both commercial and noncommercial, must prepare a list of important issues facing their communities of license, and the programs aired during April, May and June...more
By April 10, 2018, all radio and television broadcast stations, both commercial and noncommercial, must prepare a list of important issues facing their communities of license, and the programs aired during January, February,...more
By January 10, 2018, all radio and television broadcast stations, both commercial and noncommercial, must prepare a list of important issues facing their communities of license, and the programs aired during October, November...more
On November 16, 2017, a divided FCC voted 3-2 in favor of eliminating several long-standing media ownership rules. The move by the FCC represents a major change in policy, and another step in the FCC’s ongoing media...more
On October 24, 2017, a divided FCC voted 3-2 in favor of eliminating the 80-year old requirement that TV and radio broadcasters maintain a main studio and locate employees in or near their community of license. The decision...more
By October 10, 2017, all radio and television broadcast stations, both commercial and noncommercial, must prepare a list of important issues facing their communities of license, and the programs aired during July, August and...more