November 2016 The staggered deadlines for noncommercial radio and television stations to file Biennial Ownership Reports remain in effect and are tied to each station’s respective license renewal filing deadline. Noncommercial radio stations licensed to communities in Colorado, Minnesota, Montana, North Dakota, and South Dakota and noncommercial television stations licensed…
Annual DTV Ancillary/Supplementary Services Report Due for Commercial and Noncommercial Digital Television Stations
November 2016 All commercial and noncommercial educational digital television broadcast station licensees and permittees must file FCC Form 2100 – Schedule G by December 1, 2016. The FCC requires all digital television stations, including all commercial and noncommercial educational full power television stations, digital low power television stations, digital translator…
FCC Imposes Privacy Restrictions on Broadband Providers … for Now
As he rushes to accomplish his list of objectives before the change in administrations, FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler was able to cross one off that list last week. For the first time, the FCC imposed privacy requirements on providers of broadband internet access services (BIAS). The much-anticipated Order requires BIAS providers…
Ain’t No Cure for the Overtime Blues
But there are treatments available. When the Department of Labor announced in May that it would more than double the minimum salary needed to qualify an employee as exempt from overtime pay on December 1, 2016, you could hear the collective gasp from businesses nationwide. That sound echoed even more loudly…
FCC Enforcement Monitor ~ October 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: FCC Revokes Company’s Authorizations for Failure to Pay Regulatory Fees Failure to Disclose Felonies in License Applications Yields $175,000…
NAB Agreement With Sony Brings Flexibility Back to Music Streaming
The NAB has negotiated a waiver agreement with Sony Music Entertainment that will once again enable radio stations to stream Sony-licensed music unhindered by certain restrictions established by the statutory music streaming license. Stations wishing to take advantage of the Sony waiver need to opt in on the NAB website, and (depending on…
Blink and You Missed It: Stage 2 of the Incentive Auction Ends
With great anticipation, the Stage 2 Forward Auction commenced at 10am this morning. It officially ended at 12:14pm, when the FCC announced: Bidding in the forward auction has concluded for Stage 2 without meeting the final stage rule and without meeting the conditions to trigger an extended round. The incentive…
Try, Try Again: Stage 2 Reverse Auction Concludes at $54.6B
The FCC has announced the conclusion of the Stage 2 Reverse Auction, moving the spotlight from the broadcasters willing to relinquish 114 MHz of their spectrum to the bidders in the forward auction hoping to buy it. Unfortunately for those wishing to see a speedy conclusion to the Spectrum Incentive…
Newsgathering Drones Take Flight
The era of newsgathering drones is upon us. Since new Federal Aviation Administration rules allowing limited commercial operation of drones (also known as unmanned aircraft systems or UAS) weighing 55 lbs. or less took effect a little over a month ago, media organizations have moved quickly to utilize the technology.…
Keep Calm and Broadcast On: Broadcasters as Hurricane First Responders
While some debate endlessly which content best serves the public interest, there is universal agreement that the content broadcasters air during emergencies is vital to their communities. Whether it comes in the form of tracking a developing storm so the public can prepare, or disseminating evacuation orders and alerts, broadcasters…