Legislative Update
If You Have Political Advertising Questions……We Have Answers!
David Oxenford, Wilkinson Barker and Knauer, LLP is the MAB Washington Attorney and answers your Legal Hotline Questions. David and Bobby Baker, Gary Schonman and Sima Nilsson of the FCC Office of Political Programming held a terrific Political Advertising Webinar for MAB members on November 18. MAB Members may access it in the members only…
Read MoreDr. Oz Decides to Run for the Senate – What to Do When Your On-Air Employee Decides to Run for Public Office
By: David Oxenford, Wilkinson Barker Knauer LLP On Tuesday (11/30), we were deluged with press inquiries about Dr. Oz’s declaration that he was going to seek the open U.S. Senate seat in Pennsylvania – with many questions as to whether his syndicated television program would subject stations that aired it to equal time obligations. The…
Read MoreMichigan’s Huizenga Latest Co-Sponsor of Local Radio Freedom Act
Rep. Bill Huizenga (R-MI2) is the latest co-sponsor of the Local Radio Freedom Act (LRFA). LRFA is a bipartisan Sense of the H ouse resolution which opposes any new fees, taxes, or royalties on local radio stations. The Michigan Broadcasters Association supports the measure and urges all members of Congress to cosponsor it. There are…
Read MoreOSHA Suspends Enforcement of COVID-19 Vaccine Mandate for Businesses
The Hill reports that The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) is suspending enforcement of the Biden administration’s COVID-19 vaccine mandate for large private businesses after a federal appeals court upheld a stay on it last week. OSHA said in a statement published on its website Friday night that while it is confident in its…
Read MoreWith Two Nominations to Fill Out the FCC, What Are the Issues for Broadcasters?
By: David Oxenford, Wilkinson Barker Knauer LLP With the Administration’s decision to renominate Jessica Rosenworcel for another term on the FCC and to select her as the permanent chair of the Commission, and the nomination of Gigi Sohn to fill the vacant seat on the FCC, and assuming both are confirmed by the Senate (though…
Read MoreFCC Announced Closing of NCE Application Window
On November 10, the FCC’s Media Bureau announced the close of the Non-Commercial Educational application window and introduced an immediate freeze on any amendments to applications submitted during the window. The window officially closed at 6 p.m. Eastern on November 9. The freeze, which will be in effect through November 29, will allow Bureau staff…
Read MoreKelly Rossman-McKinney Dies After Cancer Battle
Longtime Lansing-based pubic relations professional Kelly Rossman-McKinney passed away this past Tuesday (11/9) at age 67. Rossman-McKinney began her career as a legislative secretary in 1979 and worked in both the Michigan House and Senate before joining the administration of former Governor James Blanchard to serve as the communications director for the newly created Michigan…
Read MoreCould Australian Decision Giving Broadcasters the Right to Collectively Bargain with Tech Companies Be a Preview of Things to Come in the US?
By: David Oxenford, Wilkinson Barker Knauer LLP Last week, the Australian Competition & Consumer Commission approved an application for Commercial Radio Australia to collectively bargain with Google and Facebook over the carriage by these tech platforms of news content from Australian radio broadcasters (press release here, application and approval here). This approval is an outgrowth of the…
Read MoreJournalism Tax Credit Bill To Pay Salaries of Local Journalists Back in Budget Bill
The NAB has announced that the journalism payroll tax credit has been included in the just-released Democratic reconciliation text that House leadership plans to bring to the floor as soon as this week. This represents a significant step towards inclusion of this provision in any final Build Back Better Act package. While there remain some…
Read MoreFTC Reminds Advertisers That Deceptive Endorsements in Advertising Can Lead to Penalties
By: David Oxenford, Wilkinson Barker Knauer LLP In a Federal Trade Commission notice published last week, the agency warned the advertising industry that penalties could be coming for the use of deceptive endorsements. The FTC not only released the notice, but it also sent a letter (a version of which is available here) to hundreds of businesses (a list…
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