May, 2010

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Judge Orders ASCAP Fees for Radio to Drop - On an Interim Basis

Broadcast Law Blog

Last week, a US District Court Judge adopted a new interim rate to be paid by commercial radio broadcasters to ASCAP for the use of ASCAP-licensed music by over-the-air radio stations, reducing the fees paid by the industry by about $40 million dollars, or about 20% of the total that had been paid by the industry under the rate deal that expired at the end of 2009.

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Congress to Rewrite the Communications Act - What Could It Mean For Broadcasters?

Broadcast Law Blog

In a very cryptic announcement , the Chairs of the House and Senate commerce committees, and the Chairs of the subcommittees dealing specifically with communications matters, have announced that they are beginning the process of rewriting the Communications Act of 1934 , the Act which governs regulation of broadcasters as well as telecommunications, satellite and mobile communications entities.

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More Indications of FCC Review of TV Shared Services Agreements

Broadcast Law Blog

In recent years, as competition in the video marketplace has become more intense, in a number of broadcast television markets, competing stations have teamed up to combine certain of their operations to achieve economies while still allowing for some degree of independence of programming. Under these " shared services agreements ", one station will provide back-office support and often advertising sales for another station in the market.

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FCC Increasing Fines for Violations of Children's Programming Rules - Fines As High as $70,000 Per Station Issued

Broadcast Law Blog

On Friday, the FCC released seven Notices of Apparent Liability for violations of children's programming rules , proposing forfeitures (i.e. fines) of $25,000 to $70,000 per station. Most of the violations cited were overages of the commercial limits , which restrict stations to broadcasting 10.5 minutes per hour of commercial material during childrens programming on weekends and 12 minutes per hour on weekdays.

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Trial Prep: What Attorneys Really Want (And How to Deliver It)

Speaker: Joe Stephens, J.D., Attorney and Law Professor

Get ready to uncover what attorneys really need from you when it comes to trial prep in this new webinar! Attorney and law professor, Joe Stephens, J.D., will share proven techniques for anticipating attorney needs, organizing critical documents, and transforming complex information into compelling case presentations. Key Learning Objectives: Organization That Makes Sense 🎯 Learn how to structure and organize case materials in ways that align with how attorneys actually work and think.

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FCC Issues Multiple Ownership Notice of Inquiry - Formally Begins Quadrennial Review With Lots of Questions To Assess the Impact of Media Consolidation

Broadcast Law Blog

The FCC yesterday released a Notice of Inquiry, formally beginning its Quadrennial Review of the Multiple Ownership Rules. While the FCC informally began the process of the Congressionally-mandated review of the ownership rules last November through a series of informational panels and workshops , the Notice of Inquiry ("NOI") provides the first formal opportunity for the public to comment on the ownership rules.

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Class A TV Stations Need to Remember They Are Subject to Full-Power Rules - Fines for Kids TV and Main Studio Violations

Broadcast Law Blog

Last week, the FCC issued fines to Class A TV stations which seem to have forgotten the requirements for such stations. Class A TV stations were low power television stations on which, early in the decade, Congress decided to confer "protected" status , meaning that they could not be knocked off the air by a new full-power TV station or by a change in the facilities of a full-power station.

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TV Stations and Cable Operators Should Watch Out for Increased Closed Captioning Enforcdement

Broadcast Law Blog

So it seems like we have been posting about Closed Captioning issues at least once a month recently, and this month is no exception as word comes now that the FCC is expecting to ratchet up enforcement of its closed captioning rules as it has now become easier for consumers to file complaints directly to the FCC. Today, the FCC released a Public Notice aimed at informing consumers of just how easy it is to file complaints with the FCC regarding closed captioning.

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FCC Denies Rulemaking Request Seeking Across the Board Increase in Power for AM Stations

Broadcast Law Blog

Only last month, we wrote about the proposal of a consulting engineer for an across the board power increase for AM stations so that they could overcome the effects of interference from all the electromagnetic devices now existing in our modern world that, while making our lives easier, interferes with the signal of AM stations, particularly in urban environments.

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House Committee Passes Revised DISCLOSE Act, Without New Lowest Unit Rate Provisions

Broadcast Law Blog

The DISCLOSE Act recently passed the Committee in the House of Representatives charged with dealing with it, without many of the provisions that most worried broadcasters and cable companies. We recently wrote about the DISCLOSE Act legislation proposed in both the House and Senate in response to the Citizens United Supreme Court case (which freed corporations and labor unions to spend money during political campaigns to explicitly support or oppose the election of particular candidates).

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Less Stress, More Success: Accounting Best Practices & Processes for 2025

Speaker: Amanda Adams, Fractional CFO, CPA

Are you ready to elevate your accounting processes for 2025? 🚀 Join us for an exclusive webinar led by Amanda Adams, a seasoned fractional CFO and CPA passionate about transforming back-office operations for finance teams. This session will cover critical best practices and process improvements tailored specifically for accounting professionals.

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Beware of City of License Change Proposal That May Not Be Implemented

Broadcast Law Blog

To move or not to move? For broadcasters considering a change in a station’s community of license , this question now requires a bit more forethought. There may be unintended consequences for broadcasters that request a community of license change based on tenuous future plans. In a recent letter decision , the Commission’s staff reminded an applicant that upon receiving a final Commission decision to change the commercial FM radio station’s community of license, it traded in i

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Brendan Holland Conducts Webinar for Michigan Association of Broadcasters on FCC EEO Rules

Broadcast Law Blog

On May 11, Brendan Holland presented a Webinar on the FCC's EEO Rules. Hosted by the Michigan Association of Broadcasters and shared with 28 other state broadcast associations, the seminar provided a refresher course on the Equal Employment Opportunity rules. A copy of the Power Point presentation from Brendan's seminar is available here , and an archived copy of the Webinar itself will be available on the web soon.

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FM Analog Translator Can Rebroadcast FM Digital Multicast Programming - Opportunities for New Signals in Local Markets

Broadcast Law Blog

In a recent decision , the FCC made clear that analog FM translators can rebroadcast the signal of a HD digital multicast channel from a commonly owned FM station. For months, broadcasters have been introducing "new" FM stations to their communities via translators rebroadcasting HD-2 signals which are broadcast digitally on a primary FM station, and available only to those who have purchased HD radio receivers.

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An Across-the-Board AM Power Increase to Overcome Electronic Interference?

Broadcast Law Blog

A petition was recently filed at the FCC proposing to allow all AM stations to increase to 10 times their current power in order to overcome the effects of interference that has grown up in most urban areas from the operation of all sorts of electronic equipment, fluorescent lights and other devices that simply did not exist when AM power levels were first established.

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Paralegal Power Move: Your Guide to Getting the Tech Tools That Maximize Your Time

Your time is valuable—and you know the right technology could help you do even more. From document management to client communication, modern tools can transform how you track deadlines, manage cases, and support your legal team. This practical playbook shows you how to: Compare and evaluate technology vendors Understand all costs and ROI potential Build a compelling presentation Handle common objections Pitch your solution like a pro Created by legal technology experts who understand how pivota