At today’s Open Meeting, the FCC unanimously adopted a Fifth Further Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) to accelerate the transition to the ATSC 3.0 broadcast standard (NextGen TV). The NPRM sets the stage for significant progress towards a nationwide transition, proposing to shift from mandatory to voluntary ATSC 1.0 simulcasting…
Broadcasters’ next Quarterly Issues/Programs List (“Quarterly List”) must be placed in stations’ Public Inspection Files by October 10, 2025, reflecting information for the months of July, August, and September 2025. Content of the Quarterly List The FCC requires each broadcast station to air a reasonable amount of programming responsive to…
Pillsbury’s communications lawyers have published the FCC Enforcement Monitor monthly since 1999 to inform our clients of notable FCC enforcement actions against FCC license holders and others. This month’s issue includes: $7,000 Consent Decree for National Cell Phone Provider Marketing Unauthorized Smartphone FCC Pursues Missouri Property Owners Over Pirate Radio…
On August 29, 2025, the FCC released its Report and Order establishing the annual regulatory fees for Fiscal Year (FY) 2025. The Commission followed that release with a Public Notice announcing that regulatory fees must be paid no later than 11:59 PM, Eastern Daylight Time on September 25, 2025. The…
October 1 is the deadline for broadcast stations licensed to communities in Alaska, American Samoa, Florida, Guam, Hawaii, Iowa, the Mariana Islands, Missouri, Oregon, Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, and Washington to place their Annual EEO Public File Report in their Public Inspection File and post the report on their…
Following the recent U.S. Supreme Court decision affirming the Federal Communications Commission’s (FCC) authority to administer the Universal Service Fund (USF or Fund), a bipartisan, bicameral group of members of Congress are taking tangible steps towards potential USF reform. In an effort to evaluate and propose potential reforms to the…
On Thursday, August 7, the Federal Communications Commission (“FCC” or “Commission”) held its monthly Open Meeting, where it considered items spanning several industries, including broadcasting, satellite communications, and public safety, among others. The expansive agenda reflected the Commission’s full court press on agency-wide regulatory streamlining, system modernization, and expansion of…
The FCC’s rules require that all Emergency Alert System (EAS) Participants update their identifying information in the EAS Test Reporting System (ETRS) annually. Accordingly, the FCC has released a Public Notice announcing that the deadline for updating and submitting the ETRS Form One for 2025 will be Friday, October 3, 2025.…
Earlier this year, FCC Chairman Brendan Carr initiated a sweeping initiative to review “every rule, regulation, or guidance document” that could be eliminated “for the purposes of alleviating unnecessary regulatory burdens.” At its July Open Meeting, the Commission voted 2-1 to adopt a Direct Final Rule framework to enable it…
Pillsbury’s communications lawyers have published the FCC Enforcement Monitor monthly since 1999 to inform our clients of notable FCC enforcement actions against FCC license holders and others. This month’s issue includes: TV Group Owner Enters $222,500 Consent Decree Over Pornographic Broadcast Hack Kentucky Radio Station License Revoked Over Unpaid Regulatory…