Legislative Update
GMR Settlement: FAQ for Broadcasters
The Radio Music Licensing Committee (RMLC) and Global Music Rights (GMR) have released a FAQ document to assist broadcasters with the recently announced GMR conditional settlement offer. Broadcasters are reminded that to participate, your submission to GMR is required by January 31, 2022. 1. How were rates determined, and why wasn’t a revenue-based model used?…
Read MoreHot Topic for 2022: Tech Regulation
By: Jonathan Cohen, Wilkinson Barker Knauer LLP My law firm partner, Jonathan Cohen, has been closely monitoring the developments in the regulation of social media and other big tech platforms by the current administration. He offers these thoughts on likely areas of legislative and regulatory action in this area in the coming year – David…
Read MoreMAB-PAC: Help Us Help You!
It’s early January and an election year. Many lawmakers will be running for another term. There will also be a large group of first timers who will run and win a coveted seat in the Michigan House or Senate. The MAB Political Action Committee (MABPAC) needs to reach these candidates for political office. We need…
Read MoreFCC Plans to Adopt Two Minor Changes to its Political Broadcasting Rules – What is Being Changed?
By: David Oxenford, Wilkinson Barker Knauer LLP The FCC, at its January 27 monthly open meeting, will be voting on the adoption of two relatively minor changes to its political broadcasting rules. While some press reports suggested that the changes would expand the FCC’s jurisdiction into online political advertising, in fact the draft of the FCC’s Report…
Read MoreWhitmer Announces Date for State of the State Address; MAB to Provide Feed
Governor Gretchen Whitmer and Speaker Jason Wentworth issued a joint statement this past Monday to announce that the 2022 State of the State address will be held in a virtual format and broadcast live throughout the state on Wednesday, January 26. “The State of the State address is a tradition rooted in history. It is…
Read MoreGMR and RMLC Announce Confidential Settlement on Music Royalties for Commercial Radio Stations – Broadcasters Must Decide Whether to Opt In by January 31
By: David Oxenford, Wilkinson Barker Knauer LLP A conditional settlement of the long-running litigation between Global Music Rights (GMR), a relatively new performing rights organization formed to license the public performance rights to certain musical works, and the Radio Music License Committee (RMLC) was announced this week. The terms of the agreement are confidential, so we can’t comment…
Read MoreA Look at Developments in SoundExchange Webcasting Royalties (Including for Broadcast Simulcasts) From the End of 2021
By: David Oxenford, Wilkinson Barker Knauer LLP As 2021 wound down, there were significant developments on SoundExchange royalties for webcasters – including broadcasters who simulcast their on-air programming through IP channels (such as on their websites and on mobile apps). While we covered many of these matters in our weekly Sunday updates on regulatory matters of importance to broadcasters,…
Read MoreA Seat at the Live Streaming Table for Michigan Broadcasters: MHSAA Amends Rules
Michigan broadcasters have new opportunities to cover local high school sports. The Michigan Association of Broadcasters (MAB) worked with the Michigan High School Athletic Association (MHSAA) to amend its live streaming policy which now allows local TV and radio stations to stream regular season games on their website and social platforms as well as over…
Read MoreSenate Confirms FCC Chair Rosenworcel
On December 7, the Senate voted 68-31 to confirm Federal Communications Commission Chair Jessica Rosenworcel, the first woman to hold that title, to another five-year term, narrowly avoiding a Republican majority at the agency once her current term was set to expire at the end of the year. Rosenworcel gained the support of key Republicans,…
Read MoreFCC Forum on Accessibility of Online Video Programming – Looking Beyond the Regulation of Broadcasters
By: David Oxenford, Wilkinson Barker Knauer LLP On December 2, 2021, the FCC held a forum on the accessibility of video programming delivered through online platforms (a recording of the event is available on the FCC website, here). What is perhaps most notable about this forum is that it looked at whether the FCC could extend its authority…
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