July 2009 As we recently reported, the FCC has altered the schedule for the filing of Biennial Ownership Reports by commercial broadcast stations. Those Reports must now be filed by November 1, 2009 and by the same date every two years thereafter. However, the staggered schedule for the filing of…
July 2009 The FCC has altered the schedule for the filing of Biennial Ownership Reports by commercial broadcast stations. August 1, 2009 is no longer the deadline for commercial radio stations in California, North Carolina, and South Carolina, or for commercial television stations in Illinois and Wisconsin to file their…
7/16/2009 As the sources of content available to the public proliferate, attracting and retaining an audience grows more challenging. A common strategy is to use provocative or “attention-getting” on-air elements to increase station awareness among media-saturated listeners and viewers. However, stations must be mindful of the numerous legal restrictions on…
July 2009 This Broadcast Station EEO Advisory is directed to radio and television stations licensed to communities in: California, Illinois, North Carolina, South Carolina and Wisconsin, and highlights the upcoming deadlines for compliance with the FCC’s EEO Rule. Introduction August 1, 2009 is the deadline for certain broadcast stations licensed…
On March 13, 2009, and in response to the Congressional extension of the digital transition deadline from February 17 to June 12, 2009, the FCC released an R&O which, among other things, revised the rules associated with its requirements for DTV Consumer Education Initiatives. Those significant revisions, which became effective…
6/17/2009 The FCC issued a Public Notice recommending that viewers having difficulty receiving any of the over-the-air digital television signals of stations in their area should “double rescan” their digital converter boxes or digital television sets. The Public Notice can be found on the Commission’s website at the following link:…
6/11/2009 In its Public Notice released earlier today, the FCC reminded stations of the requirement that television stations that have not yet made the transition to all-digital broadcasting must be prepared to answer calls about the transition immediately after they make the switch from analog to digital. The FCC noted…
5/14/2009 The Commission has announced its proposed annual regulatory fees for Fiscal Year 2009. The final fee amounts and filing deadline will be announced in a Public Notice following consideration of Comments to be filed by June 4, 2009 and Reply Comments to be filed by June 11, 2009. The…
5/8/2009 On December 23, 2008, the FCC issued a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking proposing to create a new “replacement” digital television translator service. Today, the FCC released a Report and Order creating that service, outlining the parameters of the new service, and setting forth application procedures. The purpose of the…
5/1/2009 A PDF of this entire article can be found at >EEO in 2009 and Forward: A Legal Guide to the FCC’s Equal Employment Opportunity Rule and Policies for Broadcasters.