November 2007
This Broadcast Station EEO Advisory is directed to radio and television stations licensed to communities in: Alabama, Colorado, Connecticut, Georgia, Maine, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Montana, New Hampshire, North Dakota, Rhode Island, South Dakota, and Vermont, and highlights the upcoming deadlines for compliance with the FCC’s EEO rule.
November 2007
Commercial and noncommercial Radio stations licensed to communities in Alabama, Connecticut, Georgia, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont must file their Biennial Ownership Reports with the FCC by December 1, 2007. Reports for commercial and noncommercial Television stations licensed to communities in Colorado, Minnesota, Montana, North Dakota, and South Dakota must also file their Biennial Ownership Reports by the same deadline.
September 2007
The next Children’s Television Programming Report must be filed with the FCC and placed in stations’ local Public Inspection Files by October 10, 2007, reflecting programming aired during the months of July, August, and September.
September 2007
At a late-night meeting on September 11, 2007, the Federal Communications Commission (“FCC”) adopted a “viewability” rule that will govern cable carriage of must-carry stations after analog broadcasting terminates in 2009. The rule requires cable operators to deliver the primary digital stream of a must-carry television station in a manner that will permit it to be viewed by all cable subscribers after the transition to digital television occurs on February 17, 2009. Specifically, cable operators will be required to carry the primary digital stream of a must-carry station, and will be required to either provide the digital signal in analog format as well, or carry the signal only in digital format, but ensure that all subscribers have the necessary equipment toview the broadcast content on their particular television.
September 2007
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, 2007, reflecting information for the months of July, August, and September.
September 2007
The next Children’s Television Programming Report must be filed with the FCC and placed in stations’ local Public Inspection Files by October 10, 2007, reflecting programming aired during the months of July, August, and September.
September 2007
Radio stations licensed to communities in Alaska, Hawaii, Oregon, Washington, Florida, American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and Puerto Rico must file their Biennial Ownership Reports with the FCC by October 1, 2007. Reports for Television stations licensed to communities in Iowa and Missouri must also file their Biennial Ownership Reports by the same date.
Obligation to Provide Emergency Information to Persons with Hearing Disabilities
August 2007
Mindful of Hurricane Dean, and with three months left in this year’s hurricane season, it is imperative that television station broadcasters ensure they have adequate policies in place and reliable procedures tested to insure that persons with hearing disabilities have timely access to the emergency information that such stations have provided aurally in their programming.
June 2007
Topics include:
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 their political advertising. On December 10, 2003, the Supreme Court reviewed BCRA, and left intact all of the provisions of the law that apply to broadcasters.
Comm Law Center