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Articles Posted by Lee G. Petro

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Artificial Intelligence-Generated Content in Political Ads Raises New Concerns for Broadcasters

With the Iowa Republican Caucus happening in mid-January and dozens of additional primaries and caucuses to follow before the 2024 general election, broadcasters need to be aware of the use of artificial intelligence (AI), deepfakes and synthetic media in political advertising and the various laws at play when such content…

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Foreign Sponsorship Disclosure Compliance Deadline for Existing Programming Is Upon Us

Broadcast stations face a September 15 deadline to ensure that all programming aired on their stations complies with the FCC’s foreign sponsorship disclosure requirements. The Foreign Sponsorship Disclosure Rule was adopted by the FCC in April 2021, targeting airtime lease agreements between broadcasters and foreign governments or their representatives. The…

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FCC Releases List of Communications Equipment and Services Raising National Security Risks

Bringing to a close the process initiated with the adoption of the Secure and Trusted Communications Act of 2019, the FCC’s Public Safety and Homeland Security Bureau released its list of communications equipment and services that it has deemed to pose an unacceptable risk to U.S. national security. U.S.-based service…

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FCC Proposes Changes to Direct-to-Consumer and Importation Rules for Pre-Authorization RF Devices

Today, the deadline was established for filing comments in response to a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) pertaining to the marketing, sale and importation of radiofrequency (RF) devices that have not yet obtained equipment authorization.  Specifically, the NPRM proposes to allow manufacturers to make conditional sales of pre-authorization devices directly…

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Latest COVID-19 Relief and Government Funding Package Includes Key Communications Provisions

The Continuing Appropriations Act, 2021 and Other Extensions Act, a $2.3 trillion COVID-19 relief and omnibus government funding package, contains several noteworthy communications-related measures, including $7 billion in funding for broadband initiatives and expanded television and radio station eligibility for the Paycheck Protection Program administered by the Small Business Administration…

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C-Band Lump Sum Election Deadline Extended

On July 30, 2020, the FCC released a Public Notice and Final Cost Category Schedule for the C-Band Relocation, and established August 31, 2020 as the deadline for C-Band earth station licensees to submit their lump sum election notices.  We discussed the Public Notice and Schedule here. In response to…

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C-Band Relocation Cost Schedule Released, with Earth Station Elections Due August 31, 2020

The FCC took another significant step in the C-Band reallocation process, releasing its Final Cost Category Schedule for Relocation Expenses of C-Band (3.7-4.2 GHz) satellite licensees. The Public Notice accompanying the cost schedule also established August 31, 2020 as the deadline for C-Band earth station licensees to elect whether they…

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July 31, 2020 Marks First Deadline Under FCC’s New Must-Carry Election Regime

With much of the United States under COVID-19 stay-at-home directives, and frost warnings still in the forecast, it’s as good a time as any to review the upcoming cable and satellite carriage election process for television broadcasters. The FCC recently completed an overhaul of its rules governing how eligible television…

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FCC’s COVID-19 Telehealth Program – One Month Later

On April 2, 2020, the FCC established the COVID-19 Telehealth Program (Program), which will guide the disbursement of $200 million to health care providers for connected care services to their patients. We published our summary of the Program on April 3, 2020, and followed up with a discussion of the FCC’s application procedures…

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FCC Grants First Wave of Funding for COVID-19 Telehealth Programs

On March 31, 2020, the FCC adopted a Report and Order to implement the COVID-19 Telehealth Program.  The Program was established in the CARES Act, and the FCC was appropriated $200 million to provide to eligible medical facilities to provide telehealth services to their patients. A more detailed discussion of…