Pillsbury’s communications lawyers have published the 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: Unauthorized Oregon Radio Station Transfers Yield $16,000 Penalty Consent Decree Over Upgrade of EAS Equipment Includes $1.1 Million Payment…

Beginning January 1, 2025, the FCC’s audio description requirements will expand to commercial television stations affiliated with ABC, CBS, FOX, or NBC in 10 additional Nielsen Designated Market Areas (DMAs): Johnson City-Bristol-Kingsport, Reno, Greenville-New Bern-Washington, Davenport-Rock Island-Moline, Tallahassee-Thomasville, Lincoln & Hastings-Kearney, Evansville, Fort Wayne, Johnstown-Altoona-State College, and Augusta-Aiken.  Audio-described programming…

Many television broadcasters were left scratching their heads last month when a longtime waiver associated with the FCC’s emergency information accessibility rules expired on November 26.  That confusion was resolved today, when the Media Bureau granted the National Association of Broadcasters’ (“NAB”) request for a retroactive extension of the waiver…

One thing about being part of a heavily regulated industry—you know well in advance most of the regulatory obligations and deadlines you’ll be facing in the year ahead.  While that brings no solace to broadcasters, it does lend a certain level of predictability to an often unpredictable industry. For more…

At its final Open Meeting of 2024, the FCC on December 11 adopted a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (“NPRM”) seeking comment on the elimination or updating of several rules applicable to broadcast stations, as well as other changes intended to clarify ambiguities and to make the rules consistent with current…

Pillsbury’s communications lawyers have published the 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: Late License Application Leads to $8,500 Consent Decree for Digital Replacement Translator Licensee Hawaii TV Station’s Late Uploads Lead…

Back in May, I wrote about the Department of Labor’s new regulations under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) significantly increasing the salary thresholds for an employee to be exempt from overtime pay requirements. The reason for writing about it in CommLawCenter is that media businesses rarely operate on a…

December 1 is the deadline for broadcast stations licensed to communities in Alabama, Colorado, Connecticut, Georgia, Maine, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Montana, New Hampshire, North Dakota, Rhode Island, South Dakota, and Vermont to place their Annual EEO Public File Report in their Public Inspection File and post the report on their station…

Pillsbury’s communications lawyers have published the 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: National Cable Sports Network Draws Proposed Fine of $146,976 for Transmitting False EAS Tones For-Profit Arrangement Lands Michigan Noncommercial…

Following the devastation wrought by Hurricane Helene across the American southeast and in anticipation of Hurricane Milton’s arrival, the FCC has announced an extension of the deadline to upload Third Quarter Issues/Programs Lists for radio and television stations in states particularly affected by Hurricane Helene (note that the Public Notice…