The next Children’s Television Programming Report must be filed with the FCC and placed in stations’ public inspection files by January 10, 2017, reflecting programming aired during the months of October, November, and December 2016. Statutory and Regulatory Requirements As a result of the Children’s Television Act of 1990 (“Act”)…
2016 Fourth Quarter Issues/Programs List Advisory for Broadcast Stations
The next Quarterly Issues/Programs List (“Quarterly List”) must be placed in stations’ public inspection files by January 10, 2017, reflecting information for the months of October, November, and December 2016. Content of the Quarterly List The FCC requires each broadcast station to air a reasonable amount of programming responsive to…
FCC Enforcement Monitor ~ December 2016
Pillsbury’s communications lawyers have published FCC Enforcement Monitor monthly since 1999 to inform our clients of notable FCC enforcement actions against FCC license holders and others. This month’s issue includes: Headlines: Broadcaster Loses Appeal of $20,000 FCC Fine FCC Issues Citation for Violations of Radio Frequency Equipment Authorization and Labeling…
How to Predict an Unpredictable 2017: The Pillsbury Broadcasters’ Calendar
Being close observers of the FCC, Congress, and the federal government in general, we get a lot of questions about what the next year will likely bring in DC. While changes in administrations tend to increase the number of questions like that, rarely have I been as deluged with such…
FCC Postpones 2017 Noncommercial Biennial Ownership Report Deadlines Until December 1
Noncommercial stations caught a break today. For many years, broadcast stations filed annual ownership reports on the anniversary date of their license renewal deadline. Since those deadlines varied from state to state (and even between radio and TV in the same state), determining whether a station had filed its reports…
First-Wave Radio Stations Must Upload Existing Public File Materials by December 24
‘Twas the night before Christmas, and all through the station, staffers laughed and sang carols, and enjoyed jubilation. Except for the staffers in charge of the file, who were sweating and cursing a deadline most vile. A Christmas Eve deadline that was set by the fed, a public file deadline…
One and Done: Stage 3 Forward Auction Ends After Just One Round of Bidding
At the end of Stage 2 of the Spectrum Auction, I wrote about bidder fatigue and the hope that the FCC would drop its spectrum clearing target a couple of notches for Stage 3 to expedite the conclusion of a now seemingly interminable auction. Unfortunately, the FCC held fast to…