January 2008
This Broadcast Station EEO Advisory is directed to radio and television stations licensed to communities in: Arkansas, Kansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Nebraska, New Jersey, New York, and Oklahoma, and highlights the upcoming deadlines for compliance with the FCC’s EEO rule.
January 2008
Commercial and noncommercial Radio stations licensed to communities in Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, New Jersey, and New York must file their Biennial Ownership Reports with the FCC by February 1, 2008. Reports for commercial and noncommercial Television stations licensed to communities in Kansas, Nebraska, and Oklahoma must also file their Biennial Ownership Reports by the same deadline.
January 2008
The following deadlines are based on information known by us as of the date hereof, may or may not apply to a particular broadcaster, are for general informational purposes only, and should be double-checked for currency close to each pertinent date/deadline. The reason is that actions by the FCC, Congress, or the courts could affect any of these deadlines by, for example, eliminating a particular reporting/filing obligation altogether or modifying the form used, content, deadline, fee, or manner of reporting/filing, such as requiring the posting of a report on the Internet or filing a report with the FCC electronically. It should also be noted that any FCC filing date which falls on a weekend or federal holiday, as a general rule, causes the filing deadline to be shifted to the immediately following business day. Accordingly, broadcasters should seek the advice of communications counsel in each instance to assure timely and proper filing. With respect to the tax-related deadlines identified herein, broadcasters should consult with their tax advisors. This edition of our annual “Broadcasters’ Calendar” supercedes all prior editions and accordingly any prior editions should no longer be used.
This material is not intended to constitute a complete analysis of all tax considerations. Internal Revenue Service regulations generally provide that, for the purpose of avoiding United States federal tax penalties, a taxpayer may rely only on formal written opinions meeting specific regulatory requirements. This material does not meet those requirements. Accordingly, this material was not intended or written to be used, and a taxpayer cannot use it, for the purpose of avoiding United States federal or other tax penalties or of promoting, marketing or recommending to another party any tax-related matters.
12/21/2007
On December 18, members of the House and Senate Judiciary Committees introduced bipartisan, bicameral legislation to require terrestrial or conventional radio stations to compensate performing artists and their record labels when they broadcast their work.
December 2007
At an open meeting on December 18, 2007, the Federal Communications Commission (“FCC”) adopted a Report on the results of its “Localism Proceeding” along with a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (“NPRM”) seeking comments on the tentative findings included in the Report. The findings are based on a series of public hearings that took place around the country and on the public comments filed with the FCC in response to its Localism Notice of Inquiry released on July 1, 2004 (MB Docket 04-233). The texts of the Report and NPRM have not yet been released.
December 2007
Content of the Quarterly List
The next Quarterly Issues/Programs List (“Quarterly List”) must be placed in stations’ local public inspection files by January 10, 2008, reflecting information for the months of October, November, and December. The FCC’s recent action adopting a new program report form, which is intended to replace the Quarterly Issues/Programs Lists, will not have any effect on this fourth quarter public file requirement.
December 2007
The next Children’s Television Programming Report must be filed with the FCC and placed in stations’ local Public Inspection Files by January 10, 2008, reflecting programming aired during the months of October, November, and December.
November 2007
This Advisory provides a review of the FCC’s political broadcasting regulations.
November 2007
This Broadcast Station EEO Advisory is directed to radio and television stations licensed to communities in: Alabama, Colorado, Connecticut, Georgia, Maine, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Montana, New Hampshire, North Dakota, Rhode Island, South Dakota, and Vermont, and highlights the upcoming deadlines for compliance with the FCC’s EEO rule.
November 2007
Commercial and noncommercial Radio stations licensed to communities in Alabama, Connecticut, Georgia, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont must file their Biennial Ownership Reports with the FCC by December 1, 2007. Reports for commercial and noncommercial Television stations licensed to communities in Colorado, Minnesota, Montana, North Dakota, and South Dakota must also file their Biennial Ownership Reports by the same deadline.
Comm Law Center