Late today, the FCC released an Order laying the groundwork for the first national test of the Emergency Alert System. As we noted in an earlier post, the FCC began this process nearly a year ago, when it released a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking seeking public comment on the implementation…
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: Antenna Structure Owner’s Failure to Act Results in $25,000 Fine FCC Fines Microwave Licensee $15,000 for Late-Filed Renewal AM Broadcaster…
As Scott Flick reported in a previous post, our firm filed a Petition on behalf of an unlikely coalition of broadcast and cable associations and their allies, including 46 of the state broadcasters associations, the National Association of Broadcasters, the National Cable and Telecommunications Association, the Society of Broadcast Engineers,…
In what has become one of our most popular posts at CommLawCenter, a few months ago I discussed a radio ad that contained an “attention getting” Emergency Alert System tone that was activating broadcast stations’ EAS equipment around the country. The post noted that airing the commercials violated Section 11.45…
With the Fox-Cablevision carriage dispute grabbing headlines, and the cable and broadcast industries preparing for battle in Congress and at the FCC over retransmission issues, you would be hard pressed to find common ground between these two media players. However, I have seen it, and it is now on file…
The Department of Homeland Security’s Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) announced in a public notice released today that it has adopted the Common Alerting Protocol (CAP) v1.2 Standard for FEMA’s Integrated Public Alert Warning System (IPAWS). Under the FCC’s Rules, Emergency Alert System (EAS) participants (e.g., radio and television stations,…
One of the great things about being a communications lawyer is the wide array of issues you deal with over the course of a day. Contract lawyers negotiate contracts, and litigators litigate, but communications lawyers negotiate contracts, litigate, argue government policy, and generally are thrown into the breach whenever a…
Comments are due by March 1, 2010 and Reply Comments are due March 30, 2010 to the FCC’s proceeding to implement national emergency alert testing at least once a year and to collect station data from such tests. In a Second Further Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (“NPRM”) concerning updating of…
November 2008 Topics include: FCC Upholds $9,000 Fine for Noncommercial FM Radio Station Airing Advertisements FCC Fines New York AM Radio Station $12,800 for Failing to Sign Off at Sunset, Failing to Maintain Daytime Operating Power, Failing to Maintain an Operational Emergency Alert System, and Failing to Maintain a Complete…
March 2008 Topics include: FCC Fines Mississippi Radio Station for Broadcasting a Conversation Without First Informing the Other Party Commission Fines Wyoming Radio Licensee $4,200 for Failing to Enclose Tower With an Effective Locked Fence FCC Fines Louisiana Radio Licensee $10,000 for Tower Lighting and Operating Power Violations FCC Fines…