Broadcast Law Blog

JUNE 14, 2009

This week ,the FCC issued a Public Notice addressing the issue of LPTV stations eager to displace to a new channel or switch to digital operations following the transition of full powers to DTV. (Please note, this notice does not address the filing of applications for brand new LPTV stations, which are still frozen). Many LPTV stations are eager to take advantage of the channels being returned by full power stations either to move their operations to those channels or to flash-cut to digital on

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Broadcast Law Blog

JUNE 17, 2009

In recent months, SESAC has been writing letters to broadcasters who are streaming their signals on the Internet, asking for royalties for the performance of SESAC music on their websites. More than one broadcaster has asked me why they have any obligation to SESAC when they are already paying SoundExchange for the music that they stream. In fact, SoundExchange and SESAC are paid for different rights, and thus the payments to SoundExchange have no impact on the obligations that are owed to SESAC

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Broadcast Law Blog

JUNE 3, 2009

The FCC yesterday issued a brief Order clarifying that stations that are flash-cutting to digital on their analog channel, or are otherwise commencing digital service on another channel as part of the transition, have the flexibility to do so at any time on June 12th without further authorization from the FCC. [Please note, this information does not affect stations whose pre-transition and post-transition digital channels and facilities are the same.

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Broadcast Law Blog

JUNE 21, 2009

The MusicFirst coalition last week asked that the FCC investigate broadcast stations that allegedly cut back on playing the music of artists who back a broadcast performance royalty, and also those stations who have run spots on the air opposing the performance royalty without giving the supporters of the royalty an opportunity to respond. While the NAB and many other observers have suggested that the filing is simply wrong on its facts, pointing for instance to the current chart-topping positio

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Broadcast Law Blog

JUNE 29, 2009

The FCC today adopted an Order revising its rules to permit the rebroadcast of AM radio stations on FM translator stations. A copy of the Order is available here. By this Order, the FCC formally adopted the interim policy that it has experimented with in the past year and a half since the release of the Notice of Proposed Rule Making in this proceeding.

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Broadcast Law Blog

JUNE 22, 2009

When the Low Power FM service was first authorized, it was as a " secondary service ," though a recent court decision shows how that secondary status is becoming less and less a reality. A secondary service is traditionally one that can be allotted where there are no other uses for a particular frequency, and which is subject to being bumped off the spectrum should there be another demand for that spectrum by a "primary" user.

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Broadcast Law Blog

JUNE 18, 2009

The US Senate yesterday passed the Webcaster Settlement Act of 2009 , following House passage 10 days ago. Once the Act receives the signature of President Obama, the law will go into effect, and give webcasting groups and the recording industry 30 days to reach a settlement (or settlements) on Internet radio music royalties for the use of sound recordings.

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Broadcast Law Blog

JUNE 16, 2009

Last month, the FCC released a Public Notice requesting further comments on the proposal to increase the power of HD radio operations. We have written about that proceeding a number of times, including posts here and here. The increased power for the digital radio signals has been sought by many broadcasters who believe that current HD radio power levels do not produce strong enough digital signals to penetrate buildings and fully serve radio markets.

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Broadcast Law Blog

JUNE 15, 2009

Reading the papers and watching the news this weekend, one would think that analog television is a relic of the past - something that we can all soon look back at fondly as a quaint childhood memory, never to be seen again. Yet all the reports fail to mention that for populations that watch their over-the-air television from TV translators or Low Power TV stations, analog television is still very much a reality, and in some places will be for years until the FCC sets a deadline for the digital c

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Broadcast Law Blog

JUNE 11, 2009

As you may have heard, Facebook is going to allow users to register names in their Facebook URL, replacing the former random ID numbers. This policy, announced in a Facebook blog post earlier this week will become effective on a first come, first served basis beginning Saturday, June 13 at 12:01 am. This new policy creates the danger that Facebook users may try to register as their user name words or phrases that could infringe on a company name, trademarked slogan, or even a broadcast station's

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Broadcast Law Blog

JUNE 9, 2009

On Tuesday, the FCC released a public notice reminding stations of their obligation to provide a consumer referral telephone number to the FCC and to publicize that number so that viewers will have a local number to call for specific information about the station’s transition to DTV. In addition, the FCC also reminded stations that they should be prepared to answer calls from viewers in the hours immediately after their transition and in the days that follow.

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Broadcast Law Blog

JUNE 4, 2009

The deadline for submitting comments in the FCC's rule making proceeding regarding Arbitron's use of Portable People Meters (PPM ) has been set for July 1, 2009. Reply comments are due by July 31st. As we discussed in our earlier post , the FCC has begun a rule making to examine the use of the PPM technology of radio audience measurement now being rolled out by Arbitron in radio markets throughout the country.

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Broadcast Law Blog

JUNE 4, 2009

Further information from the FCC regarding the DTV transition , this time dealing with call signs. The FCC has announced that following the DTV transition, full power television stations may either keep their current call signs ( i.e. WXYZ or WXYZ-TV) or they may formally change to use "-DT" instead, as in "WXYZ-DT" Stations that intend to keep their current call signs do not need to take any action.

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Broadcast Law Blog

JUNE 2, 2009

This afternoon, the FCC issued an erratum revising the deadline for submitting Comments in the rule making proceeding regarding potential modifications to the ownership report filing requirements for noncommercial broadcasters. Comments in this proceeding are now due by June 26th , not June 29th as previously indicated. Please see our earlier post, here , discussing the questions that the FCC has raised in this rule making.

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