Legislative Update
NAB Partners with Journalism Institute to Promote COVID-19 Inoculation
The National Association of Broadcasters has joined forces with the Donald W. Reynolds Journalism institute on a project to identify effective COVID-19 vaccine education messaging so local broadcasters can help encourage listeners and viewers to get inoculated, according to a recent report in Broadcasting+Cable. The research project aims to develop a toolkit for local TV…
Read MorePPP Loan-Funded Expenses Nondeductible If Borrower Has “Reasonable Expectation” Loan Will Be Forgiven
By: C. Brian Wainwright, James T. Chudy, Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman LLP The Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), created by the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, provides for loans to individuals and businesses with the unique feature that the loans could be forgiven, under certain circumstances, to the extent that advanced funds were…
Read MoreIn the Conversion to NextGen TV, Who is Responsible for the Content of the Simulcast Streams?
By: David Oxenford, Wilkinson Barker Knauer LLP In one of those weird little quandaries in the broadcast legal world, the FCC just asked for comments on a petition for declaratory ruling filed by the NAB seeking a clarification as to who is responsible for the content of simulcast streams provided to comply with the ATSC 3.0 conversion rules. Under those rules, for a station…
Read MoreGoldsen: ‘We Must Ensure NAB Continues to be an Effective Advocate in Washington’
By Bruce Goldsen, Member, NAB Radio Board Honorary Member, MAB Board of Directors It’s been an extraordinarily difficult year for our industry and the National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) is not immune to the challenges of the pandemic. As you know, NAB had to cancel our annual convention – the 2020 NAB Show – due…
Read MoreFCC Asks SOCTUS to Restore Local Broadcast Ownership Deregulation
The Federal Communications Commission on Tuesday (11/17) weighed in with the Supreme Court in defense of its order deregulating local broadcast ownership and in opposition to a lower court’s invalidation of that order, according to a report in Broadcastiing+Cable. The FCC contends that the lower court repeatedly prevented the commission from repealing or modifying rules…
Read MoreTwo Trump Defamation Claims Dismissed Including Claim Against TV Station for Political Attack Ad – What is the Relevance for Broadcasters?
By: David Oxenford, Wilkinson Barker Knauer LLP In the last few days, two defamation cases filed against media companies by the Trump campaign have been dismissed – one on the merits and one by agreement of the parties. This includes the suit filed by the campaign against Northland Television, the licensee of a rural Wisconsin television station. That station…
Read MoreCongress Advances Bill Requiring Radio To Put Some EAS Alerts On Repeat
The lame duck session of Congress has delivered its first move that could directly impact radio. On a voice vote this week, the House passed the Reliable Emergency Alert Distribution Improvement Act or “READI Act” (H.R. 6096). It would, among other things, require radio and television stations to repeat alerts issued by the president, rather…
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