November 2006 This Advisory provides a review of political broadcasting rules of the FCC. In this Advisory, of particular note are new regulations imposed on political broadcasting by the Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act (“BCRA”) of 2002, popularly known as “McCain-Feingold.” BCRA contains several provisions that affect the way stations handle…
November 2006 On November 20, 2002, the FCC released a Second Report and Order and Third Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (the “Second R&O”) in which it adopted new equal employment opportunity rules and policies for broadcasters and for multi-channel video programming distributors (the “new EEO Rule”). A complete copy of…
November 2006 In an effort to reduce the risk of reversal by the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit, the FCC successfully persuaded the Court to allow it to pull back and review four indecency decisions. Earlier this week, the FCC announced the outcome of that review.…
By Kathryn R. Schmeltzer and Jarrett S. Taubman November 2006 Sample questions include: What is the source of the Commission’s authority to limit “obscene,” “indecent,” and “profane” program material? What FCC regulations prohibit “obscene” or “indecent” program material? What Commission regulations prohibit “profane” program material? What about the First Amendment?…
By Kathryn R. Schmeltzer, Scott R. Flick, Lauren Lynch Flick and Paul A. Cicelski October 2006 TV, Class A TV, LPTV and TV translator stations licensed to communities in New York and New Jersey should be receiving soon a postcard from the FCC reminding them that their license renewal applications…
By Kathryn R. Schmeltzer, Lauren Lynch Flick and Paul A. Cicelski October 2006 Content of the Quarterly List The next Quarterly Issues/Programs List (“Quarterly List”) must be placed in stations’ local Public Inspection Files by October 10, 2006, reflecting information for the months of July, August, and September. A PDF…
September 2006 The Commission has designated a Texas radio station’s license renewal application for hearing after determining that the licensee apparently made several false certifications to the Commission, calling the licensee’s basic character qualifications into question. In January 2003, the licensee applied for a license to cover a previously-granted construction…
By Kathryn R. Schmeltzer, Clifford M. Harrington and Richard R. Zaragoza September 2006 FCC’s Office of Engineering and Technology Announces Schedule for Proceeding on Unlicensed Operation in the TV Broadcast Bands As we reported earlier, on March 6, 2006, the FCC released an Order in Complaints Regarding Various Television Broadcasts…
By Kathryn R. Schmeltzer, Scott R. Flick, Lauren Lynch Flick and Paul A. Cicelski August 2006 TV, Class A TV, LPTV and TV translator stations licensed to communities in Connecticut, Massachusetts, Maine, New Hampshire, Rhode Island and Vermont should be receiving soon a postcard from the FCC reminding them that…
July 2006 On July 24, 2006, the FCC released the text of the Further Notice of Proposed Rule Making (“FNPRM”) in the broadcast ownership proceeding that was adopted at the FCC’s June 21, 2006 agenda meeting. The FNPRM encompasses a number of docketed rule makings – a 2006 quadrennial regulatory…
