Legislative Update
NAB Statement on House Judiciary Committee Markup of American Music Fairness Act
“NAB thanks the members of the House Judiciary Committee who voted against the AMFA today, and the more than 250 members of Congress – including a majority of the House of Representatives – that support a resolution opposing this new performance royalty on local radio.”
Read MoreBig FTC Penalties on Google and iHeart for Deceptive Endorsements in Broadcast Commercials Mandate Care in Crafting Your Local Advertising
All media companies, including broadcasters, webcasters, podcasters and others, need to consider carefully their advertising production after the big penalties imposed on Google and iHeart for broadcast commercials where local DJs promoted the Pixel 4 phone.
Read MoreFCC Seeks Comments on HD Radio Technical Standards – Could a Power Increase for Digital FM Radio Be Coming?
Until recently, to many in the industry, HD radio seemed to be an afterthought – maybe useful in feeding analog translators, but otherwise not very accessible to the public. But there is now more and more interest in HD radio given the increased inclusion of receivers for this digital service as standard equipment in a majority of new cars.
Read MoreReminder to Noncommercial FM Stations – Operating Less Than 12 Hours a Day Can Bring Forced Time-Share Requirement
When a NCE FM station does not regularly operate for at least 12 hours per day, another noncommercial entity can file an application proposing to use the frequency during the hours that the station is not operating.
Read MoreWith (Less Than) A Week to Go Before the Midterm Elections, Watch for Last Minute Unfounded Attack Ads – The Potential Liability of Stations for False Claims in Ads from PACs, Parties and Other Noncandidate Groups
In this rush to election day, broadcasters need to be on the alert for allegations that an attack ad from a non-candidate group is false or defamatory, because in certain instances, the ad could result in a claim against the broadcaster.
Read MoreFCC Seeks Comments on Tighter Requirements for Broadcasters to Identify Foreign Government Sponsored Programming – And A Bill Introduced in Congress – What Does It Mean for Broadcasters?
In speaking to many broadcast groups around the country in the last few months, I have found that many broadcasters are totally confused by the FCC’s rules requiring that they seek certifications from anyone buying programming time on their stations (or providing programming for free in exchange for that programming being broadcast on the station).
Read MoreLawsuits Filed Against Three Radio Companies Alleging That They are Playing Global Music Rights Songwriters Without a License – Background for the GMR Claims
The lawsuits seek $150,000 for each copyrighted work that was allegedly infringed.
Read MoreAs More Political Advertising Moves Online, State Laws Provide the Regulatory Framework for Disclosures and Recordkeeping
In a recent state court decision, a King County judge in Washington State concluded that Facebook violated state political disclosure rules by not publicly providing information about the sale of political ads relating to state elections and ballot issues, as required by state law.
Read MoreA Closer Look at Multi-Million Dollar Proposed Fines for Program-Length Commercials in Children’s Television
Last week’s Notice of Apparent Liability, a unanimous decision by all four FCC Commissioners, stemmed from a Hot Wheels Super Ultimate Garage ad that was aired a total of 11 times during a Team Hot Wheels TV program which ran 8 times during November and December of 2018.
Read MoreMore on FCC Regulatory Fees Due on September 28 – Public Notices on Payment Procedures, Deadlines, Amounts and Waivers
As we wrote in several of our recent weekly summaries of regulatory issues for broadcasters, the FCC released a Public Notice the week before last announcing that regulatory fees must be submitted by 11:59 PM Eastern Time on September 28.
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