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Category Archives: Television

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March Regulatory Dates for Broadcasters – Including Online Public File for Radio and Biennial Ownership Reports, Effective Date of ATSC 3.0, Comments on TV National Ownership and Media Modernization, and GMR Extension

By David Oxenford on Posted in Broadcast Performance Royalty, Children's Programming and Advertising, Digital Television, EEO Compliance/Diversity, FM Radio, General FCC, Low Power Television/Class A TV, Multiple Ownership Rules, Music Rights, Public Interest Obligations/Localism, Television
March is one of those months where without the Annual EEO Public File Reports that come up for different states every other month, or without the Quarterly Issues Programs List and Children’s Television Report obligations that arise following the end of every calendar quarter. But this March has two very significant deadlines right at the… Continue Reading

Another Media Regulation Modernization Proposal – Abandon the Form 397 EEO Mid-Term Report (Though Maintain the EEO Performance Review)

By David Oxenford on Posted in AM Radio, EEO Compliance/Diversity, FM Radio, Television
At its meeting yesterday, the FCC adopted a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking suggesting the abolition of the EEO Mid-Term Report, FCC Form 397. That form is filed at the mid-point of the renewal term of TV stations with 5 or more full-time employees and radio clusters with 11 or more full-time employees (see our post… Continue Reading

FCC LMS Filing System Off-Line for Maintenance For Parts of This Weekend – Making Biennial Ownership Report Filings More Difficult

By David Oxenford on Posted in AM Radio, EEO Compliance/Diversity, FM Radio, General FCC, Noncommercial Broadcasting, Television
Note, for all of you who are trying to complete your Biennial Ownership Reports that are due for commercial and noncommercial stations on March 2 (see our post here about the March 2 filing date), the FCC yesterday posted a notice on the log-in screen for its LMS electronic database, in which the ownership reports are filed, that it will be off-line for… Continue Reading

Court of Appeals Denies Rehearing on Multilingual EAS Obligations for Broadcasters

By David Oxenford on Posted in AM Radio, Emergency Communications, FM Radio, Programming Regulations, Public Interest Obligations/Localism, Television
As we wrote here, MMTC (a DC-based public interest group) had petitioned the US Court of Appeals for a Rehearing on its decision (about which we wrote here) upholding the FCC decision deciding not to impose any multilingual EAS obligations on broadcasters.  The full Court of Appeals has just issued a one sentence order denying… Continue Reading

LPTV and TV Translator Displacement Window Announced – April 10 through May 15

By David Oxenford on Posted in Incentive Auctions/Broadband Report, Low Power Television/Class A TV, Television
The FCC on Friday issued a Public Notice announcing that LPTV stations and TV translators displaced by the Incentive auction and repacking of the TV band will have an opportunity to file for replacement channels for the ones on which they currently operate in a window that will run from April 10 through May 15. … Continue Reading

Five Fines of $10,000 or More Proposed for Radio Stations Missing Quarterly Issues Programs Lists in their Public File – New Concerns for Stations as Public File Goes Online and License Renewal Approaches

By David Oxenford on Posted in AM Radio, FCC Fines, FM Radio, License Renewal, Noncommercial Broadcasting, Public Interest Obligations/Localism, Television
The FCC’s Audio Division yesterday issued “Notices of Apparent Liability for Forfeiture” to five radio stations; all owned by Cumulus Licensing. Each of these notices proposed a fine (called a “forfeiture” in FCC-speak) of either $10,000 (here) or $12,000 (here, here, here and here), all for violations of the FCC public file rules. All of… Continue Reading

Appeals Court Denies Request to Put Changes in FCC Ownership Rules on Hold

By David Oxenford on Posted in EEO Compliance/Diversity, Multiple Ownership Rules, Public Interest Obligations/Localism, Television
In a very short order, the US Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit denied the request filed by certain public interest groups that had asked that the Court stop the new FCC ownership rules from taking effect and suggesting that a special master be appointed to oversee the FCC’s ownership review process. We wrote… Continue Reading

FCC to Randomly Inspect TV Stations Repacked by the Incentive Auction

By David Oxenford on Posted in Digital Television, Incentive Auctions/Broadband Report, Television
The FCC yesterday released a Public Notice indicating that they will be inspecting approximately 60 of the over 900 TV stations changing channels as a result of the incentive auction and the repacking of the TV spectrum that took place after that auction.  The FCC notice says that it is hiring contract employees who will… Continue Reading

February Regulatory Dates for Broadcasters – Including EEO, Online Public File, Biennial Ownership Reports, ATSC 3.0 and FM Translator Comments, Effective Dates of Ownership Rule Changes

By David Oxenford on Posted in AM Radio, Digital Television, EEO Compliance/Diversity, FM Radio, FM Translators and LPFM, General FCC, Multiple Ownership Rules, Noncommercial Broadcasting, Television
We are already a full month into the New Year, and the regulatory issues for broadcasters keep on coming. February brings the usual requirements for Annual EEO Public File Reports, which should be placed into the public inspection files (those public files being online for TV stations, big clusters of radio stations in Top 50… Continue Reading

Comment Dates Set on National TV Ownership Caps – Can and Should the FCC Amend the 39% Audience Cap?

By David Oxenford on Posted in Multiple Ownership Rules, Public Interest Obligations/Localism, Television
At its December meeting, the FCC adopted a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking to review the national ownership cap for over-the-air television, which limits one owner from having attributable interests in television stations reaching more than 39% of the national audience. That Notice was published in the Federal Register on Friday, setting February 26 as the… Continue Reading

Public Interest Groups Ask for Ownership Rule Changes to be Put on Hold and Special Master to Be Appointed to Oversee FCC Review

By David Oxenford on Posted in EEO Compliance/Diversity, Multiple Ownership Rules, Television
As we wrote last week, Prometheus Radio Project and the Media Mobilizing Project have filed an appeal of the FCC’s November decision to eliminate the newspaper-broadcast and radio-television cross-ownership rules and to relax the local TV ownership rules (see our summary here).  These groups have now filed a request – an Emergency Petition for a… Continue Reading

Sometimes, a Rule Means Just What it Says – FCC Denies TV Station Satellite Must-Carry Request Because it Was Not Sent By Certified Mail

By David Oxenford on Posted in Cable Carriage, General FCC, Television
In looking at today’s deregulatory FCC, one might think that the Commission would look to the intent of a rule, rather than focusing on the details of the language implementing that rule. But in the case of a San Francisco TV station asking to be carried on DISH’s satellite television system pursuant to the rule… Continue Reading

First Appeal of Multiple Ownership Rule Changes Filed by Public Interest Groups

By David Oxenford on Posted in Multiple Ownership Rules, Public Interest Obligations/Localism, Television
Prometheus Radio Project and Media Mobilizing Project, public interest groups who have been opponents of relaxation in the FCC’s broadcast ownership rules, have filed the first Petition for Review of the FCC’s Order on Reconsideration of the Quadrennial Review of those rules. In November, the FCC by a 3 to 2 vote eliminated the rule requiring that… Continue Reading

Washington Legal Issues for TV Broadcasters – Where Things Stand in the New Year

By David Oxenford on Posted in Cable Carriage, Children's Programming and Advertising, Digital Television, EEO Compliance/Diversity, Emergency Communications, General FCC, Incentive Auctions/Broadband Report, Indecency, Low Power Television/Class A TV, Multiple Ownership Rules, Payola and Sponsorship Identification, Political Broadcasting, Programming Regulations, Public Interest Obligations/Localism, Television
It’s a new year, and a good time to reflect on where all the Washington issues for TV broadcasters stand at the moment, especially given the rapid pace of change since the new administration took over just about a year ago. While we try on this Blog to write about many of the DC issues… Continue Reading

Next Media Modernization Proposals – Eliminate FCC Filing Requirement for Certain Broadcast Licensee Contracts and Expunge Analog TV Rules

By David Oxenford on Posted in AM Radio, Assignments and Transfers, FM Radio, General FCC, Public Interest Obligations/Localism, Television
At its next open meeting to be held on January 30, the FCC will consider two more proposals in its Modernization of Media Regulation Initiative.  As with many of the other proposals that have been advanced by the FCC as part of this initiative thus far, these proposals address relatively minor matters concerning paperwork obligations… Continue Reading

Comment Dates Set on Unresolved Issues for Next Generation TV ATSC 3.0 Transition – Comments Due By February 20

By David Oxenford on Posted in Digital Television, Low Power Television/Class A TV, Noncommercial Broadcasting, Television
When the FCC adopted its Report and Order authorizing the “next generation TV” standard ATSC 3.0, it did not resolve all issues, instead leaving a few for further public comment. Notice of the issues raised in the Further Notice of Proposed Rulemaking was published in the Federal Register just before Christmas, setting February 20 as… Continue Reading

January Regulatory Dates for Broadcasters – Quarterly Issues Programs Lists and Children’s Television Reports, FM Translator Window, Main Studio Rule Change and Streaming Requirements

By David Oxenford on Posted in AM Radio, Children's Programming and Advertising, FM Translators and LPFM, General FCC, Incentive Auctions/Broadband Report, Intellectual Property, Internet Radio, Music Rights, Programming Regulations, Public Interest Obligations/Localism, Television
The holidays are over, and while the regulation never stops, it is time to once again buckle down and look at what is on the horizon for broadcasters. While, in the next few days, we will have our typical look ahead at the broadcast regulatory agenda in Washington for the New Year, we also need… Continue Reading

Copyright Office Extends Comment Dates on Proceeding Looking at MVPD Reporting Obligations and the Definition of Cable System

By David Oxenford on Posted in Cable Carriage, Intellectual Property, Internet Video, On Line Media, Television
Recently, we wrote about a proceeding initiated by the Copyright Office to review the reporting obligations of cable and satellite television systems related to the statutory license that permits those systems to carry the programming of local television stations.  Systems must report information including revenue and subscriber information that allow royalties to be computed.  This… Continue Reading

Proposed $13,376,200 Fine Illustrates FCC Concern over Sponsorship Identification Issues

By David Oxenford on Posted in FCC Fines, Payola and Sponsorship Identification, Television
The FCC, apparently not in a holiday mood, yesterday released a Notice of Apparent Liability proposing a $13,376,200 fine against Sinclair Broadcast group for alleged violations of the sponsorship identification requirements of Section 317 of the Communications Act and Section 73.1212 of the FCC rules. The FCC alleges that program segments contained in news broadcasts… Continue Reading

FCC Freezes LPTV and TV Translator Applications in Anticipation of Displacement Filing Window

By David Oxenford on Posted in Incentive Auctions/Broadband Report, Low Power Television/Class A TV, Television
The FCC yesterday issued a Public Notice announcing the immediate freeze on the filing of minor change applications for LPTV and TV translator stations. This is to stabilize the FCC’s database so that applicants in the upcoming window for the filing of displacement applications by LPTV and TV Translator stations displaced by the incentive auction… Continue Reading

What is a Cable System – The Copyright Office Wants to Know

By David Oxenford on Posted in Cable Carriage, Intellectual Property, Internet Video, On Line Media, Television
Early this month, the Copyright Office released a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking dealing with two separate but related issues. First, it asks for comments on certain changes in the reporting that cable systems and satellite TV operators provide to the Copyright Office on the programming that they carry – information that is used to provide… Continue Reading

A Deeper Dive on The FCC’s Ownership Order

By David Oxenford on Posted in Multiple Ownership Rules, Programming Regulations, Public Interest Obligations/Localism, Television
With the FCC about to propose changes in its national ownership cap for television at its meeting tomorrow (see our article here), we thought that we would take a look back to the week before Thanksgiving, when the FCC made some important decisions for the broadcast industry – including the approval of the Next Generation… Continue Reading

Elimination of the Main Studio Rule Scheduled to Be Effective in Early January

By David Oxenford on Posted in AM Radio, FM Radio, Programming Regulations, Public Interest Obligations/Localism, Television
The FCC’s decision to abolish the main studio rule, about which we wrote here and here, is to be effective 30 days after the publication of the decision in the Federal Register. That publication is tentatively scheduled, according to the Federal Register documents here, for tomorrow. That would make the rule change effective on January… Continue Reading