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FCC Enforcement Monitor ~ March 2017

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: Failing to Make Timely Uploads to Online Public File Costs TV Station $13,500 FCC Fines Church’s Pirate Radio Station $25,000…

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Federal Law Now Prohibits Censoring Unfavorable Reviews

Under a new federal law, businesses are forbidden from restricting, prohibiting or penalizing consumer-posted reviews of the business or its goods and services. The Consumer Review Fairness Act of 2016 goes into effect tomorrow, March 14, 2017, and declares unlawful any “form contract” that prohibits or restricts the ability of…

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FCC Proposes Answers to Unwanted Calls

Robocalls and telemarketing calls are reliably the top source of consumer complaints received by the FCC.  Despite the good intentions of the 1991 Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA), FCC decisions implementing the TCPA, and the collective efforts of the telecom industry, there has been little relief from these unwanted calls—particularly…

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FCC Enforcement Monitor ~ February 2017

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 Proposes $25,000 Fine Against Individual for Operating a Pirate Radio Station FCC Admonishes Wireless Carrier for Data Breach Telecommunications…

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Pai FCC Moves Quickly to Rescind Wheeler FCC Actions

After the election, it was clear that we would be seeing a much different FCC in 2017. Such transitions typically take time, as a president’s nomination of new candidates to fill the Chairman’s or commissioners’ seats, along with the delay typically associated with obtaining Senate confirmation, means that a new fully-staffed…

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FCC’s Media Bureau Rescinds Ruling on New Noncom Ownership Reporting Rules

Just 29 days ago, the FCC’s Media Bureau issued an unusual decision denying Petitions for Reconsideration of an order adopted by the commissioners themselves, raising questions as to who’s in charge at the FCC.  The petitions were filed by noncommercial broadcasters in the Commission’s long-running proceeding to update its broadcast…

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FCC Enforcement Monitor ~ January 2017

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 Proposes $10,000 Fine to FM Licensee for Public Inspection File Violations Spoofed Calls Lead to $25,000 Fine Wireless Licensee…

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Letters From the Public: Pai FCC Takes First Step on Broadcast Deregulation

It took a while to get to this point, but at the first public meeting of the Pai FCC, the Commission voted today to eliminate the requirement that stations maintain “Letters and Emails from the Public” in their public inspection files. As discussed below, that decision will have differing impacts…

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Breaking News: FCC Moves Forward on Eliminating the Need to Maintain a Local Public File

Last May, Jessica Nyman and I wrote about the potential impact of an FCC Notice of Proposed Rulemaking proposing to eliminate the requirement that stations keep “Letters and Emails from the Public” in their Public Inspection File.  In moving public inspection files online, the FCC recognized that posting such letters…