July 2012 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: FCC Assesses $68,000 in Fines for Unauthorized STL Operations EAS Failures Lead to $8,000 Fine Licensee in Wyoming…
Articles Posted by Scott R. Flick
FCC Enforcement Monitor
June 2012 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: Long-Term Violation of an FCC Order Leads to $25,000 Forfeiture FCC Issues $10,000 Fines for Obstruction Lighting Violations…
Supreme Court Kicks the Indecency Can Down the Road
In a unanimous decision, the U.S. Supreme Court today ruled that it would like to have as little to do with the FCC’s broadcast indecency policy as possible. Rather than the momentous ruling on the constitutional future of broadcast indecency enforcement that advocates on all sides of the issue had…
If the Broadcast/Newspaper Cross-Ownership Rule Falls, Will It Make a Sound?
While the perennial cliche is that the FCC is perpetually behind the curve in trying to keep up with new communications technologies, my experience has been that the FCC and its staff are pretty up to date on these developments. As a result, when we see a rule remain on…
FCC Enforcement Monitor
May 2012 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: FCC Fines Noncommercial Educational Station $12,500 for Ads Public Inspection File Violations Lead to Three Short Term License…
Death, Taxes and Voluntary Spectrum Auctions
The FCC created a stir in the broadcast community when, after proclaiming for more than a year that surrendering broadcast channels for the planned broadband spectrum auction would be entirely voluntary, it began to “volunteer” Class A stations it concluded had not complied with all FCC rules. I first raised…
FCC Enforcement Monitor
April 2012 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: The FCC’s $10,000 fines for items missing from the public inspection file continue License cancellation no obstacle to…
Road Trip! Pillsbury at the NAB Show
It’s that time of year. Broadcasters, brokers, bankers, and broadcast lawyers hop on the proverbial bus and head to Las Vegas to seek their fortunes. In contrast to the last few recessionary years, during which the crowds were thinner and many attendees had the glassy-eyed look of disaster survivors, indications…
FCC’s Motive for Demanding Copies of TV Station Public Files Confirmed
Late last month I wrote about a strange occurrence at a number of TV stations that were visited by FCC inspectors demanding that the station make a copy of its entire public inspection file in 24-48 hours and provide that copy to the FCC. I commented at the time that…
FCC Enforcement Monitor
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: A discussion of a number of forfeitures issued by the FCC fining individuals up to $25,000 for operating unlicensed radio…