- The re-nominations of FCC Commissioners Geoffrey Starks and Brendan Carr were approved by the Senate late the week before last
Robert Primosch
This Week in Regulation for Broadcasters: September 25-September 30, 2023
- In a last-minute reprieve, the House and Senate agreed on Saturday, September 30 to fund the government for another 45
This Week in Regulation for Broadcasters: September 18-September 22, 2023
- The FCC’s Media Bureau released a Public Notice reminding commercial and noncommercial broadcasters of their upcoming obligation to file biennial
This Week in Regulation for Broadcasters: September 11-September 15, 2023
- The FCC’s Media Bureau entered into a Consent Decree with the licensee of an Illinois Class A television station in
This Week in Regulation for Broadcasters: August 28 to September 8, 2023
- The Senate approved Anna Gomez to be
September Regulatory Dates for Broadcasters – Regulatory Fees, HD Radio Power Increase Comments, EAS Filings, and Preparation for Many October Deadlines
On the surface, September appears to have few scheduled regulatory filing dates and deadlines. But it is period in which many broadcasters will be busy with deadlines that occur in early October and into the rest of the Fall. TV stations should be finishing their decision-making on must-carry/retransmission consent elections, which need to be in their public files by October 2 (as the 1st is a holiday). In preparation for the early November filing window for new LPFM stations (see our article here), potential applicants should be determining if a station can technically “fit” in their area without prohibited shortspacings to other stations; if one can be located in their area, they need to locate a transmitter site; and they need to take all the steps other steps needed to be ready to file their application in the early November window. One of the first regulatory dates of note in September is the freeze on FM translator modification applications that goes into effect on September 1 in anticipation of the LPFM window. The freeze will be in effect at least through the end of the LPFM filing window on November 8.
September will also bring the date for the filing of annual regulatory fees by commercial stations. We recently noted that the FCC earlier this month released its Report and Order setting the amount of the annual regulatory fees that broadcasters must pay, but the Commission has not yet followed up on that Order by issuing a Public Notice setting the dates for payment. As these payments must be made before the federal government’s October 1 start of the new fiscal year, we expect that Public Notice any day. We also expect that, as in the past, the FCC’s Media Bureau will release a fee filing guide for the broadcast services. Licensees should continue to monitor this item closely so that they are ready to pay those fees in a window that will open in September, as the failure to timely pay regulatory fees will result in substantial penalties.Continue Reading September Regulatory Dates for Broadcasters – Regulatory Fees, HD Radio Power Increase Comments, EAS Filings, and Preparation for Many October Deadlines
This Week in Regulation for Broadcasters: August 14 to August 18, 2023
- In the last two license renewal cycles, more fines have been issued for full-power stations violating the requirement that they
This Week in Regulation for Broadcasters: August 7 to August 11, 2023
- The FCC released its Report and Order setting the annual regulatory fees that broadcasters must pay for 2023. The Order
This Week in Regulation for Broadcasters: July 31 to August 4, 2023
- FEMA and the FCC announced that this year’s Nationwide EAS Test is scheduled for October 4, 2023 (with a back-up
This Week in Regulation for Broadcasters: July 24 to July 28, 2023
- On July 28, the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit issued an opinion rejecting appeals