By David Oxenford on Posted in Children's Programming and Advertising,Programming Regulations,TelevisionIn anticipation of its July 10 open meeting, the FCC last week released its draft Order making changes to its rules requiring television stations to broadcast specific amounts of educational and informational programming directed to children. The current rules require that stations air an average of three hours of such programming every week for every… Continue Reading
By David Oxenford on Posted in EEO Compliance/Diversity,FM Radio,Multiple Ownership Rules,TelevisionThe Office of Management and Budget, acting pursuant to the Paperwork Reduction Act, has just approved the FCC’s broadcast incubator program, about which we wrote here. That approval makes the program effective. The program permits an established broadcaster to provide assistance to a new broadcaster (generally, a qualified small business) to enter the radio broadcast… Continue Reading
By David Oxenford on Posted in Digital Television,TelevisionEffective yesterday, May 28, the FCC is accepting applications for television stations to begin to convert to the next generation TV transmission standard – ATSC 3.0 or “NexGen TV.” Last week, the Commission issued a Public Notice announcing that the form (FCC Form 2100) necessary for stations to apply to transition to the new standard… Continue Reading
By David Oxenford on Posted in Advertising Issues,TelevisionLast week, the US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) adopted a new rule mandating, at some point later this year after Paperwork Reduction Act approval, that prescription drug advertising on TV contain certain price information. Specifically, HHS will require TV ads for prescription drugs covered by Medicare or Medicaid to include the list… Continue Reading
By David Oxenford on Posted in Broadcast Auctions,Incentive Auctions/Broadband Report,TelevisionThe FCC this week released a Public Notice announcing that it was making available information about all bidders in the TV incentive auction – including information about TV stations who had bid to surrender their licenses in the auction and were unsuccessful in those bids. The FCC had promised to keep that information confidential for… Continue Reading
By David Oxenford on Posted in Assignments and Transfers,TelevisionEarlier 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. The new… Continue Reading
By David Oxenford on Posted in Children's Programming and Advertising,Programming Regulations,TelevisionThe FCC this week launched an inquiry into whether the TV Parental Guidelines and the organization that oversees these ratings provide accurate information to viewers as to which TV programs are appropriate for children. The FCC released a Public Notice to initiate the inquiry at the direction of Congress in the recently passed Consolidated Appropriations… Continue Reading
By David Oxenford on Posted in Incentive Auctions/Broadband Report,Low Power Television/Class A TV,TelevisionAt 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. 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… Continue Reading
By David Oxenford on Posted in General FCC,TelevisionWhere do all the Washington DC legal issues facing TV broadcasters stand? While we try on this Blog to write about many of those issues, we can’t always address everything that is happening. Every few months, my partner David O’Connor and I update a list of the legal and regulatory issues facing TV broadcasters. That… Continue Reading
By David Oxenford on Posted in Payola and Sponsorship Identification,Political Broadcasting,TelevisionWe usually think of the FCC as the agency that sets the details of the broadcast disclosure obligations for political candidate’s TV ads. But the Federal Election Commission has its own rules for political advertising that are binding on the candidates, rather than on the stations. But because these ads run on broadcast stations, stations… Continue Reading
By David Oxenford on Posted in AM Radio,FCC Fines,FM Radio,General FCC,TelevisionAs we wrote here, at the FCC’s December meeting, the FCC was scheduled to adopt an order eliminating the requirement that broadcasters post a physical copy of their licenses and other instruments of authorization at their control points or transmitter sites. In fact, the Commission adopted that order before the meeting, and it today published… Continue Reading
By David Oxenford on Posted in Programming Regulations,TelevisionCommercial television broadcast stations that are affiliated with one of the top four commercial television broadcast networks (ABC, CBS, Fox, and NBC) and are located in the top 60 television markets are required to provide 50 hours per calendar quarter of video-described prime time or children’s programming, and to provide an additional 37.5 hours of… Continue Reading
By David Oxenford on Posted in Digital Television,Incentive Auctions/Broadband Report,TelevisionThe FCC yesterday announced that it is setting up a consumer help desk, where operators will be standing by to answer questions about rescanning the TV spectrum to find TV stations that have changed channels due to the repacking of the TV band. Many TV stations will be changing channels due to the repacking of… Continue Reading
By David Oxenford on Posted in Emergency Communications,TelevisionWith Hurricane Florence about to hit the East Coast, broadcasters are well reminded of their obligations with respect to the airing of emergency information. Broadcasters may also want to consider the benefits that the FCC can offer in an emergency. While the FCC yesterday announced the postponement of its test of DIRS, the Disaster Information… Continue Reading
By David Oxenford on Posted in AM Radio,FM Radio,General FCC,Programming Regulations,Television,Tower IssuesOn Friday, the FCC issued a reminder to all operators “of fixed-satellite service (FSS) earth stations in the 3.7-4.2 GHz band that were constructed and operational as of April 19, 2018 that the filing window to license or register such earth stations closes on October 17, 2018.” This frequency band is commonly referred to as… Continue Reading
By David Oxenford on Posted in AM Radio,FCC Fees,FM Radio,TelevisionJust when you thought that it might be safe to stop watching your email and prepare to enjoy the long weekend, the FCC comes along and reminds you that there is work ahead in September. As we warned in our summary of the regulatory dates for broadcasters in September, the FCC announced the deadline for… Continue Reading
