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,Programming Regulations,TelevisionThe FCC has granted an extension of time to submit comments in its proceeding to re-institute video description rules for television programming. Comments are now due April 28th, and Reply Comments are due by May 27th. A copy of the FCC’s recent Order extending the deadline is available here. As we wrote about earlier (here),… Continue Reading
By Brendan Holland on Posted in Children's Programming and Advertising,Digital Television,Programming Regulations,TelevisionUPDATE: On March 23rd, the FCC granted a ten-day extension of the filing deadline. Comments are now due April 28th, and Reply Comments are due by May 27th. The FCC’s recent item proposing the adoption of video description rules was published in the Federal Register today setting the deadline for Comments in the proceeding. The… Continue Reading
By Brendan Holland on Posted in Children's Programming and Advertising,Digital Television,Programming Regulations,TelevisionYesterday, the FCC initiated a rule making proceeding to reinstate its prior video description rules with certain modifications, as required by the Twenty-First Century Communications and Video Accessibility Act of 2010 (Act). The proposed rules would require large market broadcast affiliates of the top four national networks and most cable operators and DBS providers to… Continue Reading
By David Oxenford on Posted in Cable Carriage,FM Radio,General FCCAfter a series of FCC meetings where the only mention of broadcasters was in connection with taking TV spectrum for wireless broadband, the tentative agenda for the next FCC meeting, to be held on March 3, 2011, is full of broadcast issues – issues that could have broadcasters wishing that they were ignored once more. The biggest issue is… Continue Reading
By David Oxenford on Posted in Digital Television,Indecency,Internet Video,On Line MediaA recent Washington Post article highlights a bill that was recently introduced in Congress suggesting that the FCC bring back their rules for audio descriptions of video programming – rules which were thrown out by the Courts several years ago as being beyond the scope of the Commission’s authority without explicit Congressional authorization. But not only does… Continue Reading
By David Oxenford on Posted in Digital Television,Public Interest Obligations/Localism,TelevisionThe FCC has released the full text of its Order adopting enhanced disclosure requirements for broadcast television stations – requiring that they post their public files on their websites and that they quarterly file a new form, FCC Form 355, detailing their programming in minute detail, breaking it down by specific program categories, and certifying that… Continue Reading
