A Q&A with Pillsbury’s Lauren Lynch Flick 1/27/2009 Consumer advocates want to push back the February 17, 2009 jump to digital broadcasting, but an extension may do more to simply postpone feared disruptions than prevent them. Next to the Internet, perhaps no consumer technology platform is evolving faster than television.…

1/26/2009 Legislation has been introduced in the United States Senate which, if enacted, would delay the current February 17, 2009 DTV transition deadline for a period of four months, or until June 12, 2009. A delay in the transition date will inevitably cause uncertainty and raise many questions, such as…

January 2009 In late December 2008, the Federal Communications Commission (“FCC”) released a series of six Notices of Apparent Liability for Forfeiture against broadcasters asserting violations of the FCC’s Equal Employment Opportunity rule (“EEO rule”). In a joint statement appended to each of the six cases, FCC Commissioners Michael J.…

January 2009 The following deadlines are based on information known by us as of the date hereof, may or may not apply to a particular broadcaster, are for general informational purposes only, and should be double-checked for currency close to each pertinent date/deadline. Actions by the FCC, Congress, or the…

January 2009 Commercial and noncommercial Radio stations licensed to communities in Kansas, Nebraska and Oklahoma must file their Biennial Ownership Reports with the FCC by February 1, 2009. Commercial and noncommercial Television stations licensed to communities in the States of Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, New Jersey and New York must also…

January 2009: Upcoming Deadlines FCC Form 499-Q is Due by February 1, 2009 Customer Proprietary Network Information Certification is Due by March 1, 2009 Enforcement Matters: Telecommunications Carrier Enters Into $10,080,600 Consent Decree for CPNI and Universal Service Fund Violations Telecommunications Carrier Found Apparently Liable for More than $650,000 for…

1/9/2009 Stations seeking to end analog operations on or before February 17, 2009 must file a NEW notice with the FCC not later than Monday, February 9, and air certain required viewer notifications. A PDF of this entire article can be found at FCC Issues Procedures Relating to Delay of…

1/6/2009 The next Quarterly Issues/Programs List (“Quarterly List”) must be placed in stations’ local public inspection files by January 10, 2009, reflecting information for the months of October, November and December 2008. The FCC’s action adopting the new program report Form 355, which is intended to replace the Quarterly Issues/Programs…

1/6/2009 The next FCC Form 388 DTV Quarterly Activity Station Report must be filed via CDBS and placed in stations’ local public inspection files by January 10, 2009, reflecting information for the months of October, November and December 2008. A PDF version of this entire article can be found at…

1/6/2009 The next Children’s Television Programming Report must be filed with the FCC and placed in stations’ local Public Inspection Files by January 10, 2009, reflecting programming aired during the months of October, November and December 2008. A PDF version of this entire article can be found at 2008 Fourth…