Copps Laments Decline Of Competition
The Hill,
May 23, 2012, 7:34 AM EDT
The United States communications infrastructure has been "short-changed" by "30-plus years of misguided public policy," according to former FCC Commissioner Michael Copps.
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station advisory
Date For FCC Channel-Sharing Rules Set
CommLawBlog,
May 23, 2012, 7:20 AM EDT
The commission's initial, bare-bones TV channel-sharing rules, adopted late last month, are set to take effect on June 22, according to a notice published in the
Federal Register.
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FCC Ponders Regulating OTT Distributors
Los Angeles Times,
May 16, 2012, 6:35 AM EDT
In a move that could have far-reaching implications for the development of new distribution systems for content, the FCC is considering changing how it defines a multichannel video programming distributor (MVPD).
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FCC Taking Fox Allegations 'Very Seriously'
The Hill,
May 11, 2012, 7:56 AM EDT
FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski testified Wednesday that his agency takes calls to cancel Fox's broadcast licenses "very seriously." During a Senate Appropriations subcommittee hearing on Wednesday, Sen. Frank Lautenberg pressed Genachowski on whether he plans to do anything about the allegations. Genachowski said it wouldn't be appropriate to comment on a specific case, but that the commission is "certainly aware of the serious issues that have been raised in the U.K."
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news analysis
What Do 2 New FCC Faces Mean For Stations?
BroadcastLawBlog,
May 10, 2012, 7:32 AM EDT
The Senate on Monday approved, after months of delay, the nominations as new FCC commissioners of Democrat Jessica Rosenworcel and Republican Ajit Pai. Once they are sworn in and assume their new jobs in the next few days, this will bring the FCC up to full strength with five seated commissioners for the first time in a year.
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news analysis
Fox US TV Licenses Should Survive Scandal
Reuters,
May 8, 2012, 6:44 AM EDT
Rupert Murdoch faces limited risk of losing News Corp.'s U.S. broadcast TV station licenses, even amid screaming headlines in Britain that the media mogul is unfit to run a major company.
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station advisory
Channel-Sharing Ground Rules Emerge
CommLawBlog,
May 7, 2012, 7:58 AM EDT
The FCC adopts skeletal preliminary rules for sharing, but leaves plenty of important details to be worked out in future proceedings. They mark the beginning of a process that will likely lead to dramatic changes in the landscape.
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commentary by Scott R. Flick
Death, Taxes & Voluntary Spectrum Auctions
CommLawCenter,
May 4, 2012, 9:53 AM EDT
If the FCC's thirst for broadcast spectrum has become so intense that it is willing to sacrifice fundamental fairness and "widows and orphans" to get it, all broadcasters need to be looking over their shoulders for the next regulatory lightning bolt encouraging them to also "volunteer" their spectrum. Like death and taxes, it appears the FCC is determined to make surrendering spectrum for the auction an unavoidable fact of life (and death).
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NAB Withdraws 'White Spaces' Challenge
Reuters,
May 4, 2012, 6:21 AM EDT
The National Association of Broadcasters said on Thursday it was dropping its court challenge of rules that allow the unlicensed use of empty airwaves between existing broadcast channels.
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Ethics Group Wants Fox Licenses Revoked
The Hill,
May 3, 2012, 8:08 AM EDT
Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington says the News Corp. U.K. phone-hacking scandal makes the company's Fox unit unfit to be a licensee and asks the FCC to revoke Fox's 27 TV station licenses.
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Bloomberg Wins FCC Comcast Complaint
Adweek,
May 3, 2012, 6:06 AM EDT
The FCC on Wednesday ordered Comcast to move Bloomberg TV next to other news channels, such as Comcast-owned MSNBC and CNBC, on its cable system news lineups.
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Shapiro Chides Smith Over Auction Remarks
TVNewsCheck,
May 1, 2012, 12:22 PM EDT
CEA President Gary Shapiro says NAB CEO Gordon Smith should refrain from his public statements about the FCC's proposed spectrum auction, calling them "inconsistent with the goals of Congress."
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FCC Chief Taps Wentzel, Mathias As Advisers
TVNewsCheck,
May 1, 2012, 6:21 AM EDT
FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski has named Renee Wentzel legal adviser to the chairman, responsible for wireless and engineering and technology issues, while Charles Mathias becomes special counsel to the chairman, with responsibility for public safety and homeland security issues.
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Jessell At Large
Genachowski Got His Way, But At What Cost?
TVNewsCheck,
Apr 27, 2012, 4:36 PM EDT
By adopting the FCC chairman’s plan to require broadcasters to post all political advertising information online instead of opting for an industry-proposed compromise, the commission is making it difficult to find the most sought-after and valuable information — who's buying spots in what markets and how much are they spending in total. In addition, the new rule runs the risk of being slowed or derailed by challenges at the OMB and in the federal courts.
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cash for spectrum
FCC Gives TV Channel-Sharing Green Light
TVNewsCheck,
Apr 27, 2012, 11:45 AM EDT
By letting broadcasters share channels and not relinquish must-carry rights, the commission hopes to entice weak stations to double up (or even triple up) on channels, turn over spectrum to the FCC and participate in the voluntary "incentive" auction.
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Updated 3:45 p.m. ET
FCC Mandates Posting Political Files Online
TVNewsCheck,
Apr 27, 2012, 10:47 AM EDT
The new rules require broadcasters to post their entire public files online, including political ad rates. Broadcasters had objected to posting political rates, arguing that it would interfere with their sales efforts. The new rules apply only to top four affiliates in top 50 markets for the first two years.
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It's Christians Vs. Tea Party On Must Carry
The Wrap,
Apr 25, 2012, 8:07 AM EDT
The National Religious Broadcasters is urging Sen. Jim DeMint (R-S.C.) and Rep. Steve Scalise (R-La.) to drop their support for legislation eliminating must-carry regulations — a proposal the group claims could spell the ruin of many religious broadcasters.
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Comcast Says Bloomberg Lied To FCC
Los Angeles Times,
Apr 25, 2012, 7:00 AM EDT
Comcast Corp. has accused Bloomberg LP of lying to the government in the latest twist in the battle between the two media behemoths.
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Broadcasters Rally For Political File 'Win-Win'
TVNewsCheck,
Apr 23, 2012, 4:11 PM EDT
An alternative plan to the FCC political file proposal floated by the Television Operators Caucus has gained support of broadcasters who are hoping for a compromise. It would require stations to regularly report who is buying political spots and how much they are paying.
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Jessell at Large
Stations’ Online Future Hinges On 'MVPD'
TVNewsCheck,
Apr 20, 2012, 3:45 PM EDT
The regulatory issue that was talked about privately and extensively by broadcasters and their lawyers at NAB this week was the FCC's request for comments on the definition of multichannel video program distributor (MVPD). If the FCC finds that Internet distributors are MVPDs, just like cable and satellite operators, then they will be subject to retransmission consent. Bottom line: Stations will be assured of controlling the distribution of their signals on the Internet, even if Internet distributors are granted the compulsory license.
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News Corp. Cuts Non-US Shareholder Votes
Reuters,
Apr 18, 2012, 3:18 PM EDT
News Corp., owner of Fox Broadcasting, reduced the voting power of non-U.S. shareholders to comply with the country's law governing broadcast station licenses. The company suspended the voting rights of 50% of the Class B shares held by investors who aren't U.S. citizens, according to a statement today. The change will last "as long as the company deems it necessary to maintain compliance with U.S. law," News Corp. said.
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Live from nab
FCC ‘Unlikely’ To Release Repacking Data
TVNewsCheck,
Apr 18, 2012, 12:53 PM EDT
That’s the word from FCC Media Bureau Chief Bill Lake who says making public the algorithm from which they are derived is enough since the commission continues to “refine our approach to that as we move into the [spectrum auction] rulemaking.”
For all that’s going on at NAB 2012, click here. Full Story
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Live From NAB
McDowell Offers Hope On Political Ad Files
TVNewsCheck,
Apr 18, 2012, 7:57 AM EDT
FCC Commissioner Robert McDowell says that rather than adopting Chairman Genachowski’s plan, he would prefer that stations “aggregate” the spending of individual candidates and PACs and report that on a weekly or daily basis rather than requiring them to put the rates of all political buys on the Web. And colleague Mignon Clyburn says she’s open to persuasion on the matter.
For all that’s going on at NAB 2012, click here. Full Story
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FCC Asks Supremes To Hear Jackson Case
TVBR,
Apr 18, 2012, 6:44 AM EDT
The FCC has filed a petition seeking a Supreme Court review of its loss in the Third Circuit in its Janet Jackson Super Bowl wardrobe malfunction case against CBS.
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Jessell at Large
Titanic’s Fate Sealed That Of Broadcasting
TVNewsCheck,
Apr 13, 2012, 2:55 PM EDT
Prior to the tragedy 100 years ago, wireless communications in the U.S was close to anarchy. There wasn't much public sentiment for regulating a technology that few fully understood or that was as intangible as the "airwaves." But the upshot of the disaster was a universal call for government regulation of wireless in the progressive spirit of the day. Wireless was clearly too important now to be left solely to the vicissitudes of free enterprise. The regulation carried over to broadcasting a decade later. So when you’re filling out renewal forms or pondering the fate of your spectrum, you can blame that damn iceburg.
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news anaylsis
Political Ad Court Decision Raises Questions
CommLawCenter,
Apr 13, 2012, 7:40 AM EDT
Yesterday's federal appeals court dicision that hat the long-standing prohibition on the carriage of paid political and issue advertising by noncommercial TV and radio stations is unconstitutional and may no longer be enforced by the FCC leaves open many important questions as to how to implement it.
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Sinclair Disputes Mediacom Retrans Claims
TVNewsCheck,
Apr 9, 2012, 7:29 PM EDT
In a letter to the FCC, the station group’s general counsel, Barry Faber, answers claims made in an earlier statement by Mediacom CEO Rocco Commisso.
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FCC May Phase In Online Political File Duty
Adweek,
Apr 9, 2012, 2:38 PM EDT
Details of the specific edict won't be released until April 27 during the FCC's monthly meeting, but the order is expected to start with network affiliates in the top 50 markets this year; most other stations will not have to send their political files to the FCC for two years.
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Political File Posting Looks Like Fait Accompli
TVNewsCheck,
Apr 5, 2012, 8:30 AM EDT
At its April 27
meeting, the FCC is expected to adopt new rules requiring TV stations to post their public inspection files on an FCC-hosted website, according to several agency insiders. And the commission is likely to insist that a station’s political files — records of political advertising bought by candidates and advocacy groups — be electronically converted and uploaded as well.
.
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cash for spectrum
FCC Readies ‘Complicated Spectrum Auction’
Politico,
Apr 5, 2012, 7:24 AM EDT
Congress granted FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski's wish for the power to hold an airwaves auction that will pay broadcasters to abandon some of their frequencies, but turning that wish into reality is going to be a challenge. The agency is trying to figure out how to design and conduct the complex auctions, which for the first time will pay people to give up valuable airwaves.
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Retrans wars
DirecTV Takes Tribune Retrans Fight To FCC
Bloomberg Businessweek,
Apr 3, 2012, 6:07 AM EDT
DirecTV filed a complaint with the FCC on Monday accusing Tribune Co. of negotiating a new programming contract in "bad faith" and questioning who is making decisions at the company.
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station advisory
FCC Wants Copies Of Entire Public Files
CommLawCenter,
Mar 29, 2012, 12:01 PM EDT
In a move presumably connected with the FCC's proceeding to require TV stations to place their public inspection files online, FCC inspectors have appeared at stations in several markets and demanded that the stations provide them with a complete copy of their entire public inspection files within 48 hours or less. Given that most public files are measured in yards, not feet, of paper, there are a lot of broadcast employees burning the midnight oil trying to comply.
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station advisory
April Fools Gags on Air? Play It Safe
Broadcast Law Blog,
Mar 29, 2012, 8:09 AM EDT
With April Fool's Day only a few days away, we need to repeat our annual reminder that broadcasters need to be careful with any on-air pranks, jokes or other jokes prepared especially for the day. While a little fun is OK, remember that the FCC does have a rule against on-air hoaxes — and, of any day in the year, April 1 is the day that the broadcaster is most at risk.
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station advisory
New EAS Rules Kick In On April 23
CommLawBlog,
Mar 22, 2012, 3:29 PM EDT
In January the FCC released its
Fifth Report and Order (
5th R&O) in its long-running proceeding aimed at modernizing the Emergency Alert System. The
5th R&O has now been published in the
Federal Register, which establishes the effective date for the new rules: April 23. If you and your engineering staff haven’t focused on whether your current facilities conform to the standards set out in the
5th R&O, the countdown has now started.
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FCC Names Auction Task Force Chief
TVNewsCheck,
Mar 21, 2012, 1:32 PM EDT
Ruth Milkman, an aide to FCC Chairman Julius genachowski, is tapped to oversee six others on the new Incentive Auction Task Force.
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news analysis
Retrans Without A Deal Is Expensive Mistake
CommLawCenter,
Mar 19, 2012, 7:12 PM EDT
While cable operators certainly may not like paying retransmission fees for broadcast programming, a pair of FCC decisions make clear that the price of not having a retransmission agreement in place can be far higher.
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station advisory
OMB Sets Tower Registration Comment Deadline
CommLawBlog,
Mar 19, 2012, 7:33 AM EDT
station advisory
FCC Begins Open Season On TV Renewals
CommLawCenter,
Mar 13, 2012, 7:33 AM EDT
The FCC on Monday issued a Public Notice officially launching the television station license renewal cycle. The notice, however, also contains an unusual new request. Specifically, the FCC asks that TV station licensees or their counsel log into their accounts in the FCC's Consolidated Database System and update the licensee's and its counsel's contact information using the account maintenance function.
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More Steps Toward TV Band Clearing
CommLawBlog,
Mar 13, 2012, 7:30 AM EDT
The thinning of the ranks of Class A TV stations continues. Recently, the FCC has started to propose the downgrading of a number of Class A television stations to LPTV status, presumably to make room for the almighty broadband to take over TV spectrum. Another 16 Class A's now face the prospect of being demoted to LPTV status.
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station advisory
Reprieve And Lesson For Class A Stations?
CommLawCenter,
Mar 7, 2012, 7:29 PM EST
I wrote in February about a sudden deluge of nearly identical FCC decisions, all released on the same day, proposing to revoke the Class A status of 16 LPTV stations for failure to timely file all of their Form 398 children's television reports. I was at least somewhat relieved to see a trio of decisions released Wednesday morning by the FCC that are largely identical to the February decisions with one big exception — the FCC proposed fining the stations for failing to file all of their children's television reports rather than seeking to revoke their Class A status.
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NAB To FCC: Update TV Ownership Rules
TVNewsCheck,
Mar 6, 2012, 8:22 AM EST
The trade group says in comments that the commission's media ownership regulations are outdated and don't reflect market realities. It argues that they place broadcasters at a "severe disadvantage" in a marketplace filled with rival media that do not labor under similar restrictions.
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station advisory
Texas Court Decision Moves LUC Dates
CommLawBlog,
Mar 2, 2012, 7:36 AM EST
A federal court in San Antonio has rescheduled the state’s primary elections, moving them back nearly two months, from April 3 to May 29, with runoff elections, if necessary, on July 31. Under the FCC’s political broadcasting rules, candidates for federal office are entitled to lowest-unit-charge (LUC) rates during a window of 45 days before a primary or primary runoff. So Texas broadcasters who might have thought that their LUC period had already been set have another think coming.
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FCC Sets 2-Day Workshop On Spectrum Efficiency
Broadcast Engineering,
Mar 1, 2012, 6:19 AM EST
Letter To the Editor
King's Take On Political Files Goes Astray
TVNewsCheck,
Feb 29, 2012, 11:12 AM EST
Washington communications attorney Jack Goodman
: In her commentary arguing for broadcasters to put their political advertising files online, UNC J-School Dean and former broadcaster Susan King takes several wrong turns. For one thing, it's never been the FCC's job to figure out who's paying for political ads.
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commentary
What Will FCC's "Stopwatch" Plan Bring?
CommLawCenter,
Feb 24, 2012, 5:13 PM EST
Broadcasters have been busy filing frosty comments in response to the FCC's Notice of Inquiry on "Standardizing Program Reporting Requirements for Broadcast Licensees." These comments reveal the difficult position in which the FCC places itself when it attempts to craft rules that relate to specific programming content. Having launched itself down that path, the question becomes whether the commission will attempt to face these issues and address them in any resulting rule, or merely downplay them, requiring an appeals court to address them at a later date.
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Jessell at Large
TOC Online Political File Plan Makes Sense
TVNewsCheck,
Feb 24, 2012, 3:54 PM EST
Broadcasters say the FCC's proposal to put political advertising files online puts too great a burden and expense on them while exposing sensitive pricing data to the Internet. Now, however, the Television Operators Caucus has offered a compromise, a proposal to post online select political information that the public and journalists want most. It deserves consideration by all broadcasters and the FCC.
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Dems Want Stations To Post Campaign Info
TVNewsCheck,
Feb 23, 2012, 8:13 AM EST
Eight Democratic senators have asked the commission to require stations to post online versions of political advertising information that stations are already required to include in their public inspection file in paper form.
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Comments (2)
Open Mike by Susan King
Stations Need Transparency In Political Ads
TVNewsCheck,
Feb 23, 2012, 8:33 AM EST
The public has a right to know who is paying for advertising for politicians who put themselves before the public in election cycles. And I believe that it is in the interest of the community and the larger political audience to know exactly what a station has earned in an election campaign cycle and to know who purchased those ads.
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TVNewsCheck Focus On Washington
FCC Nominees Being Held Hostage By GOP
TVNewsCheck,
Feb 22, 2012, 8:12 AM EST
Late last year, President Obama nominated Jessica Rosenworcel and Ajit Pai to fill two vacancies on the five-person commission. Both nominations are hung up in the Senate for reasons that have nothing to do with the nominees themselves. They are pawns in a couple of fights with the FCC by some Senate Republicans. However, both nominees have strong credentials for the FCC jobs, according to FCC watchers. Here’s a look at their backgrounds.
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Jessell at Large
Broadcasters, Wireless Missed Joint Victory
TVNewsCheck,
Feb 17, 2012, 3:25 PM EST
With the passage of legislation authorizing incentive auctions of TV spectrum for wireless broadband use, broadcasters scored a victory in getting numerous safeguards included. Good job. But if the FCC, broadcasters and broadband proponents could have found a way to work together, they could all have been winners. They could have found a plan that produces the extra spectrum that's needed for broadband and improves rather than degrades broadcasting service.
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Broadcasters OK With Auction In Payroll Bill
Adweek,
Feb 17, 2012, 6:01 AM EST
Broadcasters worried early in the debate that they might be forced to give up spectrum. But, thanks to Rep. Greg Walden, a former broadcaster, they pretty much got everything they wanted. The bill takes care of broadcasters that choose to hold onto spectrum, making sure the FCC makes every effort to preserve TV station coverage areas and population reach. No station will be forced to move to VHF. To help broadcasters relocate, $1.75 billion is set aside in the bill to cover costs.
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Google ‘Antenna Farm’ Hints At TV Service
Kansas City Star,
Feb 15, 2012, 7:01 AM EST
The company seeks FCC approval for an "antenna farm" that could capture programs to bundle with Internet service.
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FCC Bars Using Airwaves For Broadband Plan
New York Times,
Feb 15, 2012, 6:27 AM EST
The commission reversed the conditional approval for a network that would use frequencies once reserved for satellite-telephone transmissions. The news appears to squash the near-term hopes for the network pushed by LightSquared, a Virginia company that is majority-owned by Philip Falcone, a New York hedge fund manager.
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NAB For Blackout Rules, Sens. Oppose Them
MediaPost,
Feb 13, 2012, 6:39 PM EST
The National Association of Broadcasters on Monday came out in favor of rules that allow blackouts of NFL and other leagues’ games. Meanwhile, a group of five Democratic senators called for blackout rules to go in a filing, saying they are "a relic of a different time."
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FCC Seeks Input On Digital Carriage Rules
TVBR,
Feb 13, 2012, 3:22 PM EST
One of the key elements of the transition to digital broadcast television was to assure that no consumers were left behind due to the lack of a digital receiver. Another was an exemption from the requirement that MVPDs pass along non-degraded high-definition broadcast signals granted to small systems. The rules expire this summer, and the FCC is seeking comment as to whether or not they need to be extended.
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Producers Seek Closed Caption Rule Waivers
Broadcast Law Blog,
Feb 13, 2012, 7:16 AM EST
In the wake of FCC's rejection of hundreds of closed captioning waivers last year, many small television producers are now seeking new waivers for relief from the commission's television closed captioning rules.
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Jessell at Large
Fox Knows What Genachowski Should
TVNewsCheck,
Feb 10, 2012, 3:10 PM EST
That’s the value and power of over-the-air television broadcasting. The Fox plan to invest millions of dollars into the launch of MundoFox, a new
broadcasting network for Hispanics, makes hash out of the FCC chairman’s contention that broadcasting is an obsolete medium and that its continued use of spectrum is of a waste or at least the underutilization of a precious natural resource.
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FCC To Study Public's Information Needs
The Hill,
Feb 9, 2012, 7:43 AM EST
The FCC is seeking to commission a study of the public's information needs so the agency can better meet its obligations.The commission on Monday issued a notice seeking quotations and a separate solicitation for additional study suggestions due no later than Feb. 27.
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Earnings call
Sinclair’s Smith Not Worried About Auctions
TVNewsCheck,
Feb 8, 2012, 12:38 PM EST
CEO David Smith says: “There’s a fundamental disagreement between the Democrats and Republicans” over spectrum auction legislation and he sees no action likely in three-to-five years. He and other execs at the company say this year is shaping up to be a record on-year for political revenues at Sinclair and they have great expectations for the role super PACs will play.
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Longtime FCC Engineer Nai Tam Dies
CommLawBlog,
Feb 6, 2012, 3:17 PM EST
FCC: TV Can Nix Super Bowl Abortion Ad
Politico,
Feb 3, 2012, 5:50 PM EST
The FCC ruled Friday that anti-abortion activist Randall Terry can't force a Chicago TV station to air commercials featuring graphic images of aborted fetuses during the Super Bowl.
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A Super Bowl Ad To Rile Abortion Politics
Politico,
Feb 3, 2012, 7:16 AM EST
Anti-abortion crusader and would-be Democratic candidate for president Randall Terry expects the FCC to decide as soon as today if TV stations must run his graphic ads — featuring aborted fetuses — during Sunday’s Super Bowl.
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FCC Apologizes To Sen. Grassley For Remark
The Hill,
Feb 2, 2012, 7:40 AM EST
Zachary Katz, the new chief of staff for the FCC, apologized to Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) on Tuesday after an agency official compared the senator to the anti-communist former Sen. Joseph McCarthy.
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Comments (2)
commentary from the Manchester Union Leader
Viewers Beware Of Retrans Grandstanding
Manchester Union Leader,
Jan 30, 2012, 10:45 AM EST
We haven’t a clue as to which side in [the Sunbeam-DirecTV retrans] dispute had the better arguement, if any. But we know one thing: U.S. Sen. Jeanne Shaheen and U.S. Rep. Charlie Bass should get off the political grandstand. Both were trying to score points last week with their calls for the FCC to, in effect, “do something” about the dispute. Like what, exactly? The FCC has no more business interfering in this contract tussle than it does when a cable carrier can’t agree on a contract with Fox, as happened last year.
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commentary by Steven Waldman
Why Does TV Oppose Media Transparency?
Columbia Journalism Review,
Jan 30, 2012, 8:15 AM EST
Television stations have now rallied against the key elements of the FCC's media transparency proposal, which would require broadcasters to move their "public inspection files" out of their filing cabinets and onto the Internet. The surprising hostility from TV stations — news organizations — to this transparency plan raises a broader question: Do broadcasters believe that they even have "public interest obligations" anymore?
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dma 19 (Orlando, FL)
FCC Still Seeking Info on Planned WMFE Sale
Orlando Weekly,
Jan 26, 2012, 3:02 PM EST
Nine months after the Orlando, Fla., PBS station announced its sale, the FCC has still not approved its transfer to Community Educators of Orlando, the local entity representing religious broadcaster Daystar. When the community got wind of the fact that the buyer of WMFE was not going to be another PBS affiliate, many protested. According to documents filed on the FCC's website, the agency received 538 comments, letters and petitions on the sale to Daystar — the vast majority opposed to the sale.
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FCC Dismisses Ion, Urban Channel-Sharing
CommLawBlog,
Jan 24, 2012, 11:18 AM EST
After three years, the FCC has summarily dismissed an applications proposing a “share-time” arrangement for a bunch of TV stations licensed to Ion Media Networks. Urban Television (49% owned by Ion and 51% by BET Founder Bob Johnson’s RLJ Companies), would acquire “share-time licenses” permitting Urban to broadcast on subchanels on the Ion channels. ION would continue to be the licensee of, and would continue to operate, its existing stations on the same channels.
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Comments (1)
cash for spectrum
AT&T: Congress Should Set Auction Rules
The Hill,
Jan 16, 2012, 7:53 AM EST
In a challenge to the FCC's authority, AT&T said on Friday that Congress, not the commission, should set the conditions for proposed auctions of broadcast television spectrum.
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station advisory
FCC Revamps Emergency Alert System Rules
CommLawCenter,
Jan 13, 2012, 2:57 PM EST
In its latest effort, the FCC issued a Report and Order earlier this week revising the FCC's Part 11 EAS Rules to specify the manner in which EAS participants must be able to receive CAP-formatted alert messages, and making other changes to clarify and streamline the Part 11 Rules. All EAS participants are required to be able to receive CAP-formatted EAS alerts no later than June 30, 2012.
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retrans wars: dma 129 (Corpus Christi, TX)
KRIS Files Retrans Complaint Against TWC
KRIS,
Jan 13, 2012, 10:19 AM EST
The Cordillera Communications-owned NBC affiliate in Corpus Christi, Texas, has asked the FCC to find that Time Warner Cable has negotiated in bad faith with it in its attempts to reach a new carriage agreement.
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FCC To Review Its Sports Blackout Rules
MediaPost,
Jan 13, 2012, 6:03 AM EST
The FCC took a step that could impact the NFL and other leagues' policies of blacking out games in local markets -– at least on paper. The commission is asking for public comment on whether it should eliminate a rule requiring cable and satellite operators to honor the blackouts that local stations abide by.
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FCC v. Fox Television Stations
High Court Weighs FCC Indecency Policy
Associated Press,
Jan 10, 2012, 2:35 PM EST
The Supreme Court justices engaged in colorful give-and-take today with lawyers for the government and television networks over government regulation of the airwaves during hours when children are likely to be watching. Full Story
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Genachowski Makes Key Staff Changes
TVNewsCheck,
Jan 5, 2012, 1:17 PM EST
Zachary Katz will become chief of staff, succeeding the departing Eddie Lazarus next month.
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TV Takes On Indecency Rules At High Court
New York Times,
Jan 5, 2012, 6:33 AM EST
The broadcast industry will try next week to persuade the Supreme Court to tell the government to back off when it comes to regulating content. On Tuesday, the high court will hear arguments from News Corp.'s Fox and Walt Disney Co.'s ABC that the FCC's rules regarding indecent programming and the way they are enforced by the agency are both vague and unconstitutional.
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FCC Asks: Who's Paying For News Plugs?
Washington Post,
Jan 4, 2012, 6:45 AM EST
Concerned that subtle "pay-for-play" marketing ploys are seeping into the news, the FCC has proposed a regulation that would require the nation's 1,500 commercial TV stations to disclose online the corporate interests behind the news.
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Comments (1)
station advisory
Web-Only, EEO Recruitment Not Enough
CommLawBlog,
Jan 3, 2012, 7:40 AM EST
The Internet may be the go-to place for job-seekers, but the FCC still insists on an Old School approach when it comes to broadcast jobs and EEO.
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NAA On FCC Proposal: We've Seen It Before
TVBR,
Dec 29, 2011, 3:25 PM EST
The Newspaper Association of America noted that the FCC's proposed update of media ownership rules is nearly identical to the proposal put forth by the agency in 2007.
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station advisory
Closed Captioning Exemption Deadline Looms
CommLawBlog,
Dec 29, 2011, 7:01 AM EST
If you happen to be one of the 298 television programmers who lost closed captioning exemptions last October, heads up — your programming must be fully compliant with the closed captioning rules beginning Jan. 19, 2012. But take heart, you can re-apply for your exemptions. The deadline for re-filing is Jan. 18.
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ACA Wants Retrans Deal Info In Public Files
TVNewsCheck,
Dec 28, 2011, 8:07 AM EST
The American Cable Association says the FCC should require inclusion in station public files “all agreements between separately owned TV stations in the same market, particularly those that facilitate the coordination of retransmission consent negotiations.”
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FCC Mulls Limits On SSAs, LNS Agreements
TVNewsCheck,
Dec 23, 2011, 8:12 AM EST
In its new rulemaking announced yesterday, the commission proposes relaxing the newspaper-broadcast crossownership rule dropping restrictions on common ownership of TV and radio stations in all markets.But it also wants to leave the duopoly rule in place and study whether shared services and local news service agreements should count toward ownership under the rule.
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FCC OKs First White Spaces Database, Device
TVNewsCheck,
Dec 22, 2011, 12:58 PM EST
The commission issues a public notice to start operation of Spectrum Bridge’s TV White Spaces database system and authorization of a tv white spaces device.
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FCC Judge Sides With Tennis Ch. Over Comcast
Hollywood Reporter,
Dec 21, 2011, 5:56 AM EST
Proposed FCC 'Reform' Could Temper Its Bite
Politico,
Dec 20, 2011, 7:41 AM EST
The campaign by congressional Republicans for “process reform” at the FCC is as much about lawmakers wanting to handcuff the commission as it is about how the agency operates.
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FCC Names Henning Schulzrinne CTO
TVNewsCheck,
Dec 19, 2011, 11:36 AM EST
The commission’s engineering fellow will guide the FCC’s work on technology and engineering issues, together with the FCC’s Office of Engineering and Technology.
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FCC Names New Deputy General Counsel
TVNewsCheck,
Dec 16, 2011, 5:14 PM EST
Sean Lev will also serve as special adviser to Chairman Julius Genachowski on IP networks.
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station advisory
FCC Sets Public Reporting Comments Deadlines
CommLawCenter,
Dec 15, 2011, 8:56 PM EST
Polka Throws Penalty Flag Over NFL Deals
TVNewsCheck,
Dec 15, 2011, 3:27 PM EST
American Cable Association President Matthew Polka says “If CBS, NBC and Fox want to risk billions in their dealings with the NFL, that’s their business. But broadcasters should not be able to rely on the government’s broken retransmission consent and cable carriage rules as the means for them to recoup the cost of their corpulent NFL contracts.”
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commentary by Reed Hundt
Congress: If It Ain't Broke Don't Fix It
TPM Cafe,
Dec 15, 2011, 2:31 PM EST
With an approval rating that is heading for sub-zero, Congress would do well to take this advice on many subjects. But the one topic I'm focusing on — as the former chairman of the FCC — is just this: please do not tell the FCC how to auction spectrum.
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FCC's 'Star' Media Regulator Copps Bows Out
Politico,
Dec 15, 2011, 6:42 AM EST
At 71, FCC Commissioner Michael Copps is retiring after 10 years, and while he may not look like a glamour boy, few regulators have received a standing ovation like he did at the National Conference for Media Reform in Memphis in 2007.
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Spectrum Auction Bill Advances In House
TVNewsCheck,
Dec 14, 2011, 6:43 AM EST
A Republican-backed payroll tax and jobs bill with TV spectrum auction language attached won House passage last night. But many hurdles still stand in the way of it becoming law. President Obama has said he would veto the legislation as it now stands. Still, FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski, who has championed the reallocation of TV spectrum to wireless broadband, called the House vote a "major achievement."
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FCC Chief Of Staff Lazarus Resigns
Washington Post,
Dec 14, 2011, 6:38 AM EST
Eddie Lazarus ends a tenure marked by brutal battles over Internet access rules and the reviews of two massive mergers.
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FCC Releases New Loudness Rules
TVNewsCheck,
Dec 13, 2011, 12:52 PM EST
The new CALM Act regulations governing television loudness become mandatory on all commercial advertising transmitted by TV broadcasters and MVPDs as of Dec. 31, 2012. They require adherence to the ATSC A/85 recommended practices and establish a “safe harbor” for commercials passed through by stations.
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TVNewsCheck Focus on Washington
Battle Over Virtual Duopolies Heats Up At FCC
TVNewsCheck,
Dec 7, 2011, 5:32 AM EST
Broadcasters are trying to preserve the arrangements that they say let financially troubled stations benefit from economies of scale while still maintaining separate ownership. An NAB delegation met last week with key FCC advisers to press the case. They are up against a coalition of industry watchdog groups, labor unions, cable and satellite providers and some congressional Democrats who say the deals weaken a market's diversity of voices. “It is an outright evasion of the TV duopoly rule,” says Media Access Project’s Andrew Schwartzman, The goal of these agreements, he claims, “is to do what the duopoly rules prohibit."
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FCC Commissioner Michael Copps Resigns
Washington Post,
Dec 6, 2011, 2:46 PM EST
Michael Copps, one of the commission's senior Democratic members, today announced his expected resignation after one decade as the agency’s fiercest critic of media consolidation and one of its greatest proponents of Internet access rules. Copps’ second term ends at the end of this Congressional session and President Obama has nominated Jessica Rosenworcel, one of Copps’ former staffers, to take his seat.
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station advisory
FCC To Stations: Present Prizes Pronto
CommLawBlog,
Dec 6, 2011, 7:36 AM EST
If you’re a broadcast licensee thinking about conducting a contest for your audience, heads up. The commission has just made clear that it expects you to get the prizes into the winners’ hands “promptly.” The failure to do so — or maybe the failure to promote the fact that you’re going to do so — could cost you an extra $4,000.
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FCC: Cooper Talk Show Is News Program
Hollywood Reporter,
Dec 5, 2011, 7:13 AM EST
The commission has determined Anderson Cooper's syndicated talk show qualifies as news and is thus exempt from obligations to giving political candidates equal air time.
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Media Ownership Review Low Priority At FCC
Adweek,
Nov 22, 2011, 6:04 AM EST
The last thing FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski wants to talk about are the media ownership rules. With the exception of a fleeting mention of media ownership, Genachowski has said very little about the 2010 quadrennial review of the rules required by Congress.But time is running out. If the FCC doesn't get to the rules soon, it will slam right into the election, making the rules an even more toxic political issue at the time when local politicians count most on their local media outlets.
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Senate Sets FCC Nominations Hearing
TVNewsCheck,
Nov 18, 2011, 11:40 AM EST
The U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation announced today a hearing to consider the nominations to the FCC of Jessica Rosenworcel and Ajit Varadaraj Pai. The hearing is scheduled for 2:30 p.m., Wednesday, Nov. 30, in room 253 of the Russell Senate Office Building in Washington. “I am pleased to announce this important step in the confirmation process,” said Committee Chairman Sen. John D. Rockefeller IV. “These are exceptional nominees who will be effective advocates at the FCC. As we consider these nominations, I remain committed to working with my colleagues to address any concerns and move these nominations to a full Senate confirmation as expeditiously as possible."
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McDowell Against More Unlicensed Use
The Hill,
Nov 18, 2011, 7:54 AM EST
Republican FCC Commissioner Robert McDowell touted the benefits of unlicensed spectrum but said he opposes setting aside a further swath of TV airwaves for unlicensed use.
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ACA Blasts Raycom-Belo Tucson SSA
TVNewsCheck,
Nov 17, 2011, 10:31 AM EST
The cable trade association says consumers typically pay higher retransmission consent fees while receiving diminished local news services under such deals.
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station advisory
FCC Proposes Form 355 Replacement
BroadcastLawBlog,
Nov 15, 2011, 7:34 PM EST
The FCC on Tuesday issued a Notice of Inquiry to start the process of adopting a new form for TV stations to complete to report on various categories of "public interest programming," however that might be defined.
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Stations Target Of Consolidation Complaint
Deadline.com,
Nov 14, 2011, 3:17 PM EST
A strange-bedfellows coalition of Dish Network; Time Warner Cable; activist group Free Press; the Newspaper Guild; and the American Cable Association which represents small and mid-sized operators have sent a letter to the FCC. They’re united by a concern about TV stations that “cannot lawfully merge under the FCC’s local television rules (but) are nonetheless consolidating their core operations, staff and news production.”
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NFL Fans Toss Red Flag At TV Blackouts
Politico,
Nov 14, 2011, 7:01 AM EST
Congress and the FCC are about to get an earful from the Sports Fans Coalition, which plans to turn its federal lobbying operation against television blackouts of sporting events, particularly National Football League games.
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FCC Releases Latest Tally Of TV, Radio Stations
Broadcast Engineering,
Nov 9, 2011, 2:57 PM EST
FCC Push To Expand Net Access Gains Help
New York Times,
Nov 9, 2011, 6:25 AM EST
The FCC is hoping to close the digital divide by developing cheap high-speed Internet access for low-income households. Today, the commission will announce commitments from most of the big cable companies in the United States to supply access for $9.99 a month to a subset of low-income households. The low introductory price is meant to appeal to new customers who have not had broadband in the past.
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open mike by Jack Goodman
Watch Out for Fixed-Spot Package Buys
TVNewsCheck,
Nov 8, 2011, 10:09 AM EST
FCC staff has expressed growing concern about station sales practices that provide benefits that effectively are only available to long-term commercial advertisers, pointing out that political candidates are supposed to be placed on an equal footing with a station’s most-favored advertiser.
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FCC, FEMA Want Help Publicizing EAS Test
TVNewsCheck,
Nov 4, 2011, 11:26 AM EDT
The agencies want governors, federal legislators, broadcasters, news networks and other organizations to help spread the word about the Nov. 9 nationwide test.
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Former FCC Commissioner Kenneth Cox Dies
Washington Post,
Nov 4, 2011, 10:37 AM EDT
Kenneth A. Cox, 94, a member of the FCC in the 1960s who became a senior vice president and director of MCI Communications, died of a heart ailment Oct. 31.
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Republicans Propose Overhaul Of FCC
The Hill,
Nov 3, 2011, 3:09 PM EDT
The Republican duo of Rep. Greg Walden (Ore.) and Sen. Dean Heller (Nev.) unveiled legislation to change the way the FCC does business. Walden and other Republicans have stepped up their criticism of the FCC following the agency's adoption of net-neutrality rules, which the GOP argues are unnecessary and an overreach of the agency's authority.
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station advisory
Nov. 9 National EAS Test Shortened
CommLawCenter,
Nov 3, 2011, 2:21 PM EDT
FEMA has indicated that the audio of the Nov. 9 national EAS test is being shortened from its original 2.5 minutes to 30 seconds. Originally, the government had indicated the entire test would run as long as 3.5 minutes, but current indications are that the shortened audio will reduce the length of the overall EAS test to 45-60 seconds.
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Small Cable MSOs Want Loudness Exemption
National Journal,
Nov 3, 2011, 9:45 AM EDT
The American Cable Association is asking the FCC for a one-year exemption from having to comply with a law enacted in December that would lower the volume on all those loud TV ads that irritate so many viewers.
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Sinclair Calls For National Spectrum Audit
TVNewsCheck,
Nov 1, 2011, 12:04 PM EDT
The broadcaster urges Congress to postpone any auction considerations until after a thorough spectrum audit is completed.
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FCC Cracks Down On Religious Broadcasters
Politico,
Nov 1, 2011, 9:27 AM EDT
If a church broadcasts the word of God on TV without closed captions, it risks incurring the wrath of the FCC. Some 300 small to medium-size churches can expect letters from the commission within the next few days explaining why their closed captioning exemptions were lifted for TV shows like
Power in the Word and
Producing Kingdom Citizens.
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Jessell At Large
FCC’s New Disclosure Plan: Not Even Close
TVNewsCheck,
Oct 28, 2011, 2:11 PM EDT
Instead of congratulating themselves for dumping some unworkable rules and showing the world that a Democrat-controlled agency could actually deregulate something, Genachowski and the other commissioners moved forward with plans to substitute new disclosure rules that may be just as onerous, unnecessary and wrong-headed as the 2007 rules. What the FCC needs to do is open a proceeding to lessen regulations on broadcasting.
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carriage wars
DirecTV Takes News Corp. Fight To FCC
Los Angeles Times,
Oct 28, 2011, 6:40 AM EDT
The two sides are at odds over a new distribution agreement that would keep News Corp.-owned cable channels including FX on DirecTV. If an agreement is not reached by Nov. 1, DirecTV has said it will stop carrying the channels. In a letter to the FCC, DirecTV took issue with some of the advertisements News Corp.'s Fox has run to alert people to the dispute. Specifically, DirecTV accused the company of misleading consumers.
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FCC Overturns Closed Captioning Waivers
Broadcast Engineering,
Oct 28, 2011, 6:09 AM EDT
FCC Introduces Online Public File Rules
TVNewsCheck,
Oct 27, 2011, 12:50 PM EDT
The commission today proposed new rules that would require TV stations to expand their online public files to include political advertising records, sponsorship identification information, as well as shared services agreements. Chairman Genachowski promises the commission will act on them in the "very near future."
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station advisory
FCC Sets More Details On National EAS Test
CommLawCenter,
Oct 26, 2011, 2:47 PM EDT
The FCC has now completedit its online reporting system for EAS participants and released a handbook to be used during the nationwide EAS test on Nov. 9. Both can be accessed on the FCC's Public Safety & Homeland Security Bureau's
EAS Nationwide Test Landing Page.
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TVNewsCheck Focus On Washington
Good And Bad In FCC's New Disclosure Plan
TVNewsCheck,
Oct 26, 2011, 8:31 AM EDT
Tomorrow, the FCC will proffer a new batch of disclosure rules to replace the ones it passed in 2007 but hasn’t been enforcing. Like the 2007 rules, the proposed ones call for more detailed programming reports from stations so the FCC can better assess whether they are meeting public interest obligations. But the new ones are not as demanding as the 2007 ones. Stations would still have to put their public files online and, unlike before, include political advertising records showing the purchases of time by candidates, PACs and other political advocacy groups.
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4g wORLD
Sprint Cool To New Spectrum Auctions
Network World,
Oct 25, 2011, 2:10 PM EDT
While Sprint and AT&T have been clashing for months over the latter's proposed merger with T-Mobile, they can surely still agree on the value of spectrum auctions, right? Well, not necessarily. While speaking during a panel discussion at 4G World Monday, Sprint Director of Government Affairs Trey Hanbury downplayed the need for new spectrum auctions that could help its rivals acquire even more prime spectrum for deploying LTE services.
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Spectrum Feud Lands At Supercommittee
Politico,
Oct 25, 2011, 7:07 AM EDT
The grudge match between TV broadcasters and the wireless sector is entering its most intense round yet, forcing supercommittee members to choose sides now that the deficit-reduction panel is eyeing auctions of the nation’s airwaves as a surefire way to raise billions.
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Comments (6)
dma 145
Small Beats Big In Palm Springs Cable Fight
TVBR,
Oct 25, 2011, 6:24 AM EDT
News-Press & Gazette Company and Journal Broadcast Corp. convinced the FCC to uphold their nonduplication claims against KNBC and KCBS Los Angeles in favor of their KESQ and KMIR, respectively.
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dma 159
Gray Moving Panama City, Fla., VHF to UHF
TVBR,
Oct 24, 2011, 6:19 AM EDT
Attempts to solve problems associated with the DTV transition have failed to resolve reception problems by some viewers of Gray Television's WJHG, so the company has asked the FCC for permission to move the NBC affiliate from ch. 7 to ch. 18.
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Comments (1)
FCC Throws Out Closed Captioning Waivers
CommLawCenter,
Oct 21, 2011, 5:01 PM EDT
In a decision that may cause a fair amount of chaos for program producers, television stations, and cable systems, the FCC last Thursday released an
Order overturning 298 previously granted closed captioning waivers.
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dma 18 (Cleveland)
FCC Seeks Comments On WJW Ch. Move Request
Broadcast Engineering,
Oct 21, 2011, 6:25 AM EDT
FCC To Revisit Public Interest Filing Rules
Broadcast Engineering,
Oct 21, 2011, 6:18 AM EDT
At its next open meeting on Oct. 27, the FCC is scheduled to reconsider rules it adopted in 2007 requiring TV broadcasters to make detailed public interest filings. The rules, which never have been implemented, have been the subject of several petitions for reconsideration.
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NAB Offers National EAS Test Preparation
TVNewsCheck,
Oct 12, 2011, 6:09 PM EDT
The trade association has created a checklist of relevant information for every phase of the National EAS Test scheduled for Nov. 9. The
checklist provides steps for broadcasters to ensure their equipment is ready for the exercise, and what actions are required of them during and after the test.
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Will FCC Net Neutrality Rules Survive Court?
Adweek,
Oct 11, 2011, 9:34 AM EDT
Challenges to the FCC rules will be heard by the appeals court in D.C. ... and Verizon is licking its lips.
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Budget Panel Seeks More Gov't Spectrum
TVNewsCheck,
Oct 7, 2011, 3:20 PM EDT
Members of Congress' deficit reducing Super Committee tell Obama that he needs to find more government spectrum that can be auction to wireless broadband operators. The spectrum that Obama has already identified, including portions of the TV band, is not enough, they say.
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NAB Spectrum Letter Creates Backlash
National Journal,
Oct 7, 2011, 1:38 PM EDT
Groups backing efforts to give the FCC authority to auction TV spectrum to wireless broadband operators lashed out at the NAB for suggesting in a letter to Congress' deficit-reduction Super Commitee that there is no spectrum shortage and so no need to auction TV spectrum.
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Comments (11)
station advisory
National EAS Test Raises Interesting Issues
CommLawCenter,
Oct 6, 2011, 7:32 PM EDT
The country’s first nationwide Emergency Alert System test is set for Nov. 9, at 2 p.m. ET
. FEMA and the FCC have strongly urged test participants to get advance word of the test out to the public to avoid an Orson Welles
War of the Worlds type of panic when the national test is initiated. To that end, FEMA has produced a PSA that EAS participants can use to forewarn the public. An interesting issue that has arisen is whether the spots require sponsorship identification under the FCC's sponsorship identification rules.
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Comments (5)
Legal Memo by Michael D. Berg
States Playing Musical Chairs With Primaries
TVNewsCheck,
Oct 7, 2011, 8:04 AM EDT
Earlier primaries and Super PACs are changing the face of the 2012 elections. For TV stations, that means gearing up political sales policies and inventory planning; the opportunity for more revenue from the political season; and the need for earlier-than-usual attention to FCC, Federal Election Commission and state political ad requirements. In this first of two parts, the ramifications of the ever-shifting primary schedule are examined.
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FCC Holds Hearing On Shifting Fed. Ad Money
Newspaper Association of America,
Oct 6, 2011, 6:21 AM EDT
The FCC held a field hearing in Arizona on Monday concerning "Information Needs of Communities: The Changing Media Landscape in a Broadband Age." This staff-level report outlines recommendations for strengthening news and information-gathering to meet the needs of local communities. One of the report's recommendations calls on the federal government to consider "targeting existing federal advertising spending to local news media."
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Smith To FCC: Stay Out Of Retrans
TVNewsCheck,
Oct 3, 2011, 11:57 AM EDT
In an open letter to FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski, NAB President Gordon Smith says “the mere prospect of government intervention introduces uncertainty and distorts incentives in ways that disrupt the bargaining process and only make it more difficult to reach fair and equitable agreements." He says service disruptions caused by negotiation impasses are the rare exception rather than the rule.
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FCC Could Find Itself Really Shorthanded
National Journal,
Oct 3, 2011, 10:39 AM EDT
The FCC could end up with only three members at the end of this year if the Obama administration and Congress fail to act to fill two open seats on the five-member panel. The commission has had only four commissioners since June, when Republican member Meredith Attwell Baker left to join Comcast. The FCC is also set to lose Democrat Michael Copps, most likely at the end of the year. Copps's term officially ended last year, but under present rules he can serve until the current session of Congress ends.
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NAB's Smith Keeps Up Defense Of Spectrum
Washington Times,
Sep 30, 2011, 7:43 AM EDT
NAB President Gordon Smith says the FCC's TV spectrum grab could be “catastrophic” for the industry and could mean the loss of free, local programming for tens of millions of viewers. “We’re just like a pinata that everyone’s always banging, and we’re saying, ‘Enough already.’ “
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Analysts: What Spectrum Shortage?
ReadWriteEnterprise,
Sep 27, 2011, 3:28 PM EDT
A study by Jason Bazinet and Michael Rollins of Citi Investment Research & Analysis seems to undermine FCC's claim that reallocating spectrum from broadcast TV is urgent. The study concludes that only about 35.7% of spectrum set aside for wireless communications is being used for that purpose. What's causing the spectrum problems, Bazinet and Rollins believe, is not how much spectrum is being consumed but
where it falls on the map, and
who owns it.
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Jessell at Large
Vigilance Is Vital To Hanging On To Retrans
TVNewsCheck,
Sep 23, 2011, 3:33 PM EDT
While the FCC’s desire to get back TV spectrum from stations is grabbing a lot of attention, there’s another issue that shouldn’t fall under the industry’s radar. The attempt by cable and satellite operators to get the commission to change the retransmission consent rules to decrease the broadcasters’ leverage. This second revenue stream is vital and is growing more important each year. This is a dangerous proceeding. If broadcasters don't pay enough attention, all their spread sheets showing steadily rising retrans revenue over the next decade could suddenly become moot.
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TWC, DirecTV Team To Lobby FCC On Retrans
Los Angeles Times,
Sep 23, 2011, 7:07 AM EDT
Rival distributors Time Warner Cable and satellite broadcaster DirecTV teamed up to make their case to the FCC for an overhaul the agency's retransmission consent rules. Representatives of the two companies met with FCC Commissioners Michael Copps and Robert McDowell on Wednesday to discuss the tensions that have arisen over the last few years between broadcasters and multichannel video program distributor over fees broadcasters want in return for carriage of their programming.
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Net Neutrality Rules To Take Effect Nov. 20
The Wrap,
Sep 22, 2011, 7:44 PM EDT
Controversial net neutrality rules designed by the FCC to prevent internet providers from imposing higher fees on subscribers that stream video or play online games will go into effect on Nov. 20. However, the new regulations could be derailed by lawsuits before they ever see the light of day.
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station Advisory
FCC Further Extends EAS CAP Deadline
CommLawCenter,
Sep 16, 2011, 12:15 PM EDT
The FCC today granted a request to extend the deadline for Emergency Alert System participants to implement the Common Alerting Protocol (CAP) standard. The commission has moved the deadline from Sept. 30 to June 30, 2012. The extension means that the thousands of EAS participants across the country now have additional time to acquire and install the equipment needed to become CAP-compliant.
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FCC Launches Online Database Of Licenses
The Hill,
Sep 15, 2011, 3:26 PM EDT
The FCC has launched an online, searchable database of licenses in an attempt to provide more transparency into the commission's operations.
License View is an online dashboard that lets users explore the more than three million spectrum licenses issued by the FCC. Users can view the number of different licenses a company or organization holds, the type and when they are up for renewal. The raw data files will also be available for use by software developers.
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FCC To Public: Test White Spaces Database
Broadcast Law Blog,
Sep 15, 2011, 8:02 AM EDT
The FCC announced public testing of a new TV white spaces database system. Starting Sept. 19, the FCC Office of Engineering and Technology will open a 45-day window to allow the public to try out the TV Band Database developed by one of the potential TV white spaces database managers. If approved, the database will be used by white space devices to find available frequencies and avoid interfering with authorized services and registered facilities.
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station advisory
FCC's Video Description Rules Reinstated
CommLawCenter,
Sep 9, 2011, 3:09 PM EDT
Yesterday, the reinstatement of the FCC's "video description" rules finally became official with their publication in the
Federal Register. It has been a long time coming, given that the rules were originally created by the FCC in 2000. In short, the reinstated rules require large-market broadcast affiliates of the top four national networks, and cable/satellite systems (MVPDs) with a large number of subscribers, to provide programming with video descriptions to their viewers.
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FCC Taps Robbins As Managing Director
TVNewsCheck,
Sep 2, 2011, 1:20 PM EDT
SBA administrator David Robbins is chosen by Chairman Genachowski to succeed Steve VanRoekel to oversee the agency's administration and management.
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Broadcasting Vs. Irene: So Far, So Good
TVNewsCheck,
Aug 27, 2011, 3:30 PM EDT
As of noon ET Saturday, no TV or radio station had been knocked out by the hurricane, which hit North Carolina and is now moving up the East Coast toward New York, according to the FCC. Some 5,000 homes have lost cable TV service, however.
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news analysis
FCC Repeals Fairness Doctrine — Who Cares?
BroadcastLawBlog,
Aug 23, 2011, 3:18 PM EDT
Yesterday, FCC Chairman Genachowski issued a press release stating that the FCC was abolishing the Fairness Doctrine as part of its clearing of its book of 83 obsolete media rules. What should the reaction of broadcasters be now that the Fairness Doctrine has been officially abolished? Probably, a collective yawn. In 1987 — almost 25 years ago — the FCC felt that it could not enforce the doctrine as it was an unconstitutional restriction on the freedom of speech of broadcasters. So the repeal of the actual FCC rule that sets out the doctrine is really inconsequential, as it practically changes nothing. What remains unknown about yesterday's announcement from the chairman is just how far this repeal goes.
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First Domino Falls: Say Goodbye to Ch. 51
CommLawCenter,
Aug 22, 2011, 2:54 PM EDT
The FCC this morning announced a "temporary" freeze on the filing and processing of applications for full-power and low-power TV stations on ch. 51. The freeze was announced in response to a petition filed in March by CTIA-the Wireless Association and the Rural Cellular Association asking the FCC to take steps to "prevent further interference caused by TV broadcast stations on channel 51" to wireless broadband services in the Lower 700 MHz A Block.
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station advisory
FCC Sets Sept. 14 As Reg Fee Deadline
CommLawBlog,
Aug 15, 2011, 2:58 PM EDT
Get out your calendars ... and your checkbooks. The commission has announced the deadline for filing this year's regulatory fees. Tyey're due by 11:59 p.m. ET on Sept. 14.
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dma 114
FCC Green Lights Raycom's Augusta TV Buy
TVNewsCheck,
Aug 15, 2011, 9:44 AM EDT
The FCC has granted Raycom Media permission to move ahead with its $18-million acquisition of WFXG Augusta, Ga. (DMA 114), a Fox affiliate it has been managing under a local marketing agreement since 2003. Raycom doesn't own or operate any other stations in the market.
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State Group Pushing For Broadcaster On FCC
Radio World,
Aug 12, 2011, 9:52 AM EDT
The Connecticut Broadcasters Association has passed a resolution urging the White House and Congress to back a broadcaster as one of the next FCC commissioners. The CBA wants the NAB and other state associations to pass similar resolutions.
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station advisory
FCC Toughens Public File Enforcement
CommLawCenter,
Aug 10, 2011, 3:26 PM EDT
In the past decade, $10,000 has become the standard "go to" fine for even minor public file violations. In fact, there was a recent case where the FCC chose to adjust its base fine upward and issue a $15,000 fine for a public inspection file violation.
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Jessell At Large
Delay On Spectrum Models Raises Suspicion
TVNewsCheck,
Aug 5, 2011, 3:44 PM EDT
This is getting ridiculous. The FCC was supposed to make public its technical models for its proposed spectrum reallocation that would make its proposed auction plan possible. Broadcasters are still waiting. It keeps promising, but it never delivers and that's straining the commission's credibility. Until the modeling is made public, broadcasters should remain skeptical — and wary — of the anything having to do with incentive auctions. And Congress, too.
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cash for spectrum
In Spectrum Battles, Mom & Pop TV Loses
GigaOM,
Aug 5, 2011, 3:02 PM EDT
The FCC has been pushing for a while to get some 120 MHz of spectrum from the TV broadcasters and it sell it to the highest bidder. The NAB is opposing these plans and warning that it could lead to the closure of some 210 of its member's stations. But the impact could be even greater on the country's low-power TV stations, some LPTV operators fear. Close to 3,500 LPTVs would be affected by the spectrum changes, according to NAB estimates.
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Comments (4)
FCC Refereeing Airwaves Fight
Politico,
Aug 4, 2011, 7:24 AM EDT
New lobbying battles at the FCC are increasingly forcing regulators to determine “property rights” in the sky, as more business sectors rely on mobile technologies that are crowding the nation’s limited airwaves. The battles now before the FCC pit oil rigs in the Gulf of Mexico against educational TV programmers on shore, makers of wireless patient devices against military test-flight centers, and automobile collision avoidance radar against scientists listening for life in the universe.
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FCC Seeks More Choices In Cable Lineups
Associated Press,
Aug 1, 2011, 5:37 PM EDT
The FCC approved new rules Monday to make it easier for independent television programmers to get their channels carried on cable system and to prevent cable companies from discriminating against independent channels that may compete with their own networks.
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Jessell at large
Cable Lobby Is The Epitome Of Hyprocrisy
TVNewsCheck,
Jul 29, 2011, 4:55 PM EDT
Cable just can't have it both ways. Having opposed the FCC's so-called standstill provision that bars cable operators from dropping independent cable networks while their carriage complaints are pending at the commission, it can't continue to push for a standstill in retrans consent disputes with broadcasters.
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cash for spectrum
Debt Fight Could Bring Spectrum Auctions
Associated Press,
Jul 29, 2011, 6:08 AM EDT
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid's current debt ceiling plan would direct the FCC to auction off highly valuable television spectrum to wireless carriers desperate for more airwaves.
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FCC To Consider Wireless Backhaul In August
Broadcast Engineering,
Jul 27, 2011, 2:57 PM EDT
news analysis
Why Spectrum Debate Is Tied To Debt Ceiling
CNET,
Jul 27, 2011, 7:29 AM EDT
Congressional leaders seem to be throwing everything but the kitchen sink into the debate over the budget and raising the debt ceiling. Now it looks like the incentive wireless spectrum auctions proposed by the FCC may end up as part of a package that is being hashed out by Republicans and Democrats in Washington
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FCC Ends 'Eligible Entities' Applications
Broadcast Law Blog,
Jul 26, 2011, 8:08 AM EDT
Cash for spectrum
NAB: FCC Broadband Plan Would Kill Stations
TVNewsCheck,
Jul 25, 2011, 1:16 PM EDT
A new analysis of the FCC’s National Broadband Plan by the National Association of Broadcasters finds that a minimum of 210 full-power TV stations could go dark and that 40% of all TV stations in U.S. could either leave the business or be assigned a new channel. It also says stations in the top 10 markets could be severely impacted, with "Northern Border" stations in Detroit, Buffalo, Cleveland and Seattle threatened. NAB calls on the FCC to immediately make public its analyses of the plan's potential negative impact on viewers of free and local television.
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ACA Asks FCC To Clarify EAS Rules
TVNewsCheck,
Jul 21, 2011, 10:34 AM EDT
The cable trade group wants an extension of the EAS CAP reception deadline while the commission prepares definitive guidance for cable operators.
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Critics: FCC Not Policing Kids' TV
Politico,
Jul 21, 2011, 7:33 AM EDT
TV watchdog groups say the FCC needs to better target kids' programs that have too many commercials, and they want the commission and Congress to strengthen oversight of the Children's Television Act.
Link
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station advisory
New CALM Act Standard Coming
CommLawBlog,
Jul 19, 2011, 7:23 AM EDT
Ten days after initial comments on the proposed standard are filed, turns out there's a different standard in the works at ATSC.
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station advisory
FCC Sets End Date For Analog Ch. 51+ LPTVs
CommLawCenter,
Jul 18, 2011, 1:15 PM EDT
If you have an LPTV station operating on a channel higher than 51, you have until Sept. 1 to file an application to change to digital operation on ch. 51 or below. Failure to file an application by that deadline means the station's authority to operate will terminate on Dec. 31, which is the deadline announced last Friday by the FCC for ending all LPTV operations on chs. 52-69.
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FCC Launches National EAS Test Info Page
CommLawCenter,
Jul 15, 2011, 3:36 PM EDT
In support of the first national test of the Emergency Alert System on Nov. 9, the FCC has launched a helpful "Emergency Alert System Nationwide Test" information page.
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Jessell at large
TVB Pushing To Move Fed Ad $$ To Local TV
TVNewsCheck,
Jul 15, 2011, 3:17 PM EDT
The TV trade group was the source of the FCC’s recent recommendation that the federal government divert its advertising dollars from the national media to local media. And TVB didn’t stop there. Now it’s hard after the government money. For starters, it's trying to get a better accounting of exactly how much money there is and where exactly it is coming from. Then it's off to Washington. TVB has to convince the bureaucrats not only of the efficacy of local media, but of the relative merits of local TV. Good job.
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NCTA To FCC: Drop Connected TV Standard
Broadcast Engineering,
Jul 14, 2011, 2:57 PM EDT
The FCC has been working on plans to create AllVid, a new CableCARD replacement standard for the delivery of IP video services and applications to Internet-connected television sets. The National Cable and Telecommunications Association, however, wants the FCC to back off.
Link
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dma 15
FCC Confirms $4,000 Fine For ID-Less VNR
Broadcast Law Blog,
Jul 12, 2011, 7:23 AM EDT
The FCC has issued a Forfeiture Order, confirming a $4,000 fine levied against KMSP Minneapolis for airing a video news release (VNR) without sponsorship identification.
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Comcast May Be Fined In Tennis Ch. Dispute
Los Angeles Times,
Jul 12, 2011, 6:21 AM EDT
The FCC's Enforcement Bureau is recommending that cable giant Comcast Corp. be sanctioned for unfairly using its market muscle to squeeze the small independent Tennis Channel.
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Jessell at large
Broadcasters Need To Mount Duopoly Drive
TVNewsCheck,
Jul 8, 2011, 3:31 PM EDT
With the Appeals Court bouncing the ownership regulation ball back into the FCC’s court, there’s an opportunity for change to the TV duopoly rule. The commission’s own recent report says that diversity of owners may not be all it's cracked up to be anymore in the wake of the Internet. Exactly, and it can't continue to block local media combinations on the assumption that all or most will lead to fatter owners and shuttered newsrooms. They can lead just as readily to more and better news. So get busy: Schedule some ex parte visits with the commissioners and their staffs. It's time to pay attention.
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Court Rejects Relaxed Crossownership Rule
TVNewsCheck,
Jul 7, 2011, 2:54 PM EDT
In remanding the relaxed 2008 version of the 35-year-old broadcast-newspaper cross-ownership rule to the FCC for another look, the U.S. Appeals Court said the agency's decision to allow common ownership in large markets had "failed to meet the notice and comment requirements" in reviewing the rule as required by law. The court also affirmed the TV duopoly rule and other local owneship limits.
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station advisory
Broadcasters: It's Quarterly Filing Time Again
CommLawCenter,
Jul 7, 2011, 7:27 AM EDT
July 10 is a significant filing deadline for radio and television stations. Here's a brief summary of the quarterly deadlines, as well as links to more detailed descriptions of the requirements.
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TVNewsCheck Focus on Washington
Just How Voluntary Is Senate Spectrum Bill?
TVNewsCheck,
Jun 29, 2011, 7:44 AM EDT
The Senate bill authorizing FCC TV spectrum auctions is raising red flags after an amendment was added that makes it unclear that such auctions be entirely voluntary for broadcasters. Another is that the FCC is not required to protect sufficiently those broadcasters that choose to hang on to their spectrum from increased interference and loss of service area.
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DMAs 71 & 179
Nexstar Buy Of Liberty Stations Gets FCC OK
TVNewsCheck,
Jun 28, 2011, 1:22 PM EDT
In granting Nexstar's purchase of WFRV Green Bay, Wis., and WJMN Escanba, Mich., from Liberty Media, the FCC also extended a waiver of "main studio" rule for WJMN.
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Supreme Court Takes FCC Indecency Case
Associated Press,
Jun 27, 2011, 11:06 AM EDT
The justices said today they will review appeals court rulings that threw out the FCC's rules against the isolated use of expletives as well as fines against broadcasters who showed a woman's nude buttocks on a 2003 episode of ABC's
NYPD Blue.
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Latta Introduces FCC Cost Analysis Bill
WQEL,
Jun 27, 2011, 6:11 AM EDT
Rep. Bob Latta (R-Ohio) last week introduced the FCC Analysis of Benefits and Costs or "ABCs" Act. The bill would require the FCC to conduct a cost-benefit analysis of proposed rules and final rules.
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FCC Nomination Fight Stirs Intrigue
Politico,
Jun 23, 2011, 9:57 AM EDT
The behind-the-scenes parlor game to fill Democratic and Republican vacancies on the FCC is just beginning to heat up. It's the beginning of a process that could lead to political tension in the Senate — not only over the nominees themselves but over the policy direction of an agency that hasrepeatedly found itself in cross hairs over controversial issues, such as net neutrality.
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Dems Object To Bill To Reform The FCC
Adweek,
Jun 22, 2011, 2:38 PM EDT
House Democrats today are lashing out against a draft of a Republican bill that would reform the process at the FCC, arguing that the legislation would do more harm than good. Democrats are particularly concerned that a provision of the bill would change the standard the FCC uses in reviewing potential mergers.
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PTC Asks FCC For V-Chip Reform
TVNewsCheck,
Jun 21, 2011, 6:03 PM EDT
The watchdog group cites three recent studies to support its claims of flaws in the TV content ratings system and asks that the commission “begin a proceeding on new tools for parents.”
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cash for spectrum
Dingell Wants Spectrum Answers From FCC
TVNewsCheck,
Jun 20, 2011, 12:04 PM EDT
Rep. John Dingell is skeptical of the FCC's plan to auction off up to 120 MHz of the TV spectrum to wireless broadband providers and he has asked the commission for answers to a series of questions by June 27.
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cash for spectrum
Broadcasting Staying Strong In Mobile World
Roll Call,
Jun 20, 2011, 10:53 AM EDT
The FCC is trying to entice the broadcasters to surrender some of their spectrum voluntarily, by promising to give them a portion of the subsequent auction proceeds. But to do that, the FCC first needs an OK from Congress. NAB President (and former U.S. senator) Gordon Smith has helped broadcasters successfully tamp down any thought of requiring TV stations to give back their spectrum licenses. Broadcasters are shoring up support for their position and making doubly sure any spectrum legislation contains language that will protect their interests.
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Genachowski Makes Staff Appointments
TVNewsCheck,
Jun 17, 2011, 4:02 PM EDT
The FCC chairman names Zachary Katz as chief counsel; Sherrese Smith as senior counsel and legal adviser; and Amy Levine as special counsel and legal adviser
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station advisory
Bought A Station? Update Tower Registration
Broadcast Law Blog,
Jun 17, 2011, 7:24 AM EDT
Among the many things broadcasters need to remember when they buy a station is making sure that the tower registration (Antenna Structure Registration or ASR) is transferred along with the rest of the station assets. Unlike most filings done at closing, the issue is not one of establishing the rights or title to any tower assets. Instead, the registration is to let the FCC know who is responsible for that tower in the event the FCC needs to get in touch with the owner to deal with tower lighting or fencing issues or similar matters.
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FCC To Crack Down On Dark Stations
TVNewsCheck,
Jun 16, 2011, 7:34 AM EDT
The chief of the Media Bureau's Video Services Division says the commission will cut back on giving extensions to licensees whose stations aren’t on the air.
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FCC Makes Some Progress On Ownership
Adweek,
Jun 16, 2011, 5:53 AM EDT
With all the focus on broadband at the FCC, it's easy to forget that the regulator's quadrennial review of its media ownership rules, originally scheduled for 2010, is overdue. Some progress was made Wednesday, though, as the FCC released five of the nine studies it ordered as part of the review of the current rules.
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Bloomberg Challenges Comcast's Ch. Lineup
Reuters,
Jun 13, 2011, 2:45 PM EDT
Bloomberg LP, unhappy with the placement of its financial news channel in Comcast Corp's cable television lineup, filed a complaint with the FCC on Monday, accusing the cable operator of violating a condition of its merger with NBC Universal.
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FCC Upheld On Cable Access To Sports
Reuters,
Jun 10, 2011, 3:00 PM EDT
A U.S. federal appeals court on Friday upheld communications regulators' decision to bar cable operators from blocking access to some sports programming. The FCC closed a loophole last year that allowed cable companies to deny access to channels delivered via terrestrial ground lines and not satellite feeds.
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NCTA: Carriage, Access, Rate Regs Should Go
B&C,
Jun 10, 2011, 5:54 AM EDT
The cable group's supplementary filing reguarding the FCC's video competition report says that 1992 Cable Act regulations are no longer necessary.
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First National EAS Test Slotted for November
Television Broadcast,
Jun 9, 2011, 10:59 AM EDT
The Federal Emergency Management Agency and the FCC will conduct the first national test of the country's Emergency Alert System on Wednesday, Nov. 9, at 2 p.m. ET. The duration may be up to three-and-a-half minutes.
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FCC Chairman Has Big Legal Job To Fill
The Hill,
Jun 8, 2011, 3:34 PM EDT
After the FCC announced Tuesday that Rick Kaplan will assume the position of chief in the Wireless Bureau, FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski must decide who will succeed Kaplan as his top lawyer. Speculation is already heating up about who could be the new chief counsel in the chairman's office. Here are some top contenders.
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FCC Backs Away From Aiding Media
Wall Street Journal,
Jun 8, 2011, 6:36 AM EDT
On Thursday, the FCC will release its long-awaited report on the "Future of Media," but according to people who have seen the voluminous document, it holds little more than minor suggestions for rule changes, such as requiring broadcasters to put more information online. The report will also suggest that the Internal Revenue Service consider helping struggling media companies get an easier path to becoming non-profits.
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FCC Names New Chief Economist
TVNewsCheck,
Jun 7, 2011, 6:20 AM EDT
Georgetown University economics professor Marius Schwartz will succeed Jonathan Baker beginning June 1.
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FCC Hires New Chief Information Officer
TVNewsCheck,
Jun 6, 2011, 12:25 PM EDT
Robert Naylor, former CIO at USDA, is tapped to “modernize the agency’s data and IT holdings and keep this agency moving towards the cloud.”
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Legal Memo by Michael D. Berg
EEO: Six Key Tips For Staying Out Of Trouble
TVNewsCheck,
Jun 3, 2011, 11:40 AM EDT
With the FCC stepping up enforcement of equal employment opportunity regulations, here's a list of things stations should know to avoid heartache and FCC sanctions for noncompliance.
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Ellis: TV Chips Should Be Required In Phones
B&C,
Jun 2, 2011, 1:53 PM EDT
Veteran Broadcaster Bert Ellis says the FCC should make putting TV tuner chips in handsets the price of entry for wireless companies in an incentive spectrum auction, and for approval of the combo of major wireless players AT&T and T-Mobile. Ellis, currently president of Titan Broadcasting, says he may well sell some of the spectrum from some of his stations under the right conditions.
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Upton, Walden Ask FCC To Kill Fairness
The Hill,
Jun 2, 2011, 7:42 AM EDT
The leaders of the House Energy and Commerce Committee wrote to FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski on Tuesday asking him to strike the Fairness Doctrine from the agency's rulebook. The controversial rule, introduced in 1949, required broadcasters to present controversial public issues in a manner deemed fair and balanced by the FCC. The commission concluded in 1987 that the Fairness Doctrine was unconstitutional and pledged to cease enforcing it.
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retrans wars
Minority Groups Want FCC To End Blackouts
The Hill,
Jun 1, 2011, 8:06 AM EDT
The FCC should require broadcasters and television providers to maintain programming regardless of the status of retransmission negotiations, according to a coalition of minority advocacy groups.
Link
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FCC Freezes TV Station Channel Changes
Broadcast Law Blog,
May 31, 2011, 3:30 PM EDT
In another example of how seriously the FCC is considering the reallocation of portions of the TV spectrum for wireless broadband use, the commission today issued a Public Notice freezing any new petitions for changes in the channels of television stations. Since the DTV transition, almost 100 stations have changed channels — mostly moving from VHF to UHF channels, as TV operators have in determined that VHF channels are subject to more interference and viewer complaints about over-the-air reception.
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Bloomberg And Comcast Fighting Again
Los Angeles Times,
May 31, 2011, 6:51 AM EDT
The business news giant is accusing Comcast of reneging on a promise it made to the FCC as part of the government agency's approval of its deal to acquire control of General Electric Co.'s NBCUniversal. At issue is where the Bloomberg Television channel is placed on Comcast cable systems.
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FCC Issues CALM Act Rulemaking
B&C,
May 31, 2011, 5:55 AM EDT
The FCC has quietly released its Notice of Proposed Rulemaking on implementation of the
CALM (Commercial Advertisement Loudness Mitigation) Act, which regulates the loudness of commercials on broadcast and cable TV. It puts the onus on stations and cable operators to mitigate that loudness on all commercials, not just those that are locally inserted, as some industry representatives had argued it should be limited to.
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Cablevision: Make Station Retrans Fees Public
MediaPost,
May 27, 2011, 8:16 AM EDT
Looking to combat runaway retrans costs —
and sometimes testy negotiations that lead to TV program blackouts —
cable operator Cablevision Systems Corp. filed a proposal with the FCC for some reforms. Link
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Comments (7)
station advisory
You Can File For License Renewal Too Early
CommLawCenter,
May 19, 2011, 2:35 PM EDT
During the last license renewal cycle, the FCC handed out an unprecedented number of fines to broadcasters who failed to file their license renewal applications on time. There is, however, such as thing as being too early. The FCC has already returned at least four license renewal applications because they were filed too early.
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Ivi TV Files FOIA Request With The FCC
TVNewsCheck,
May 18, 2011, 8:37 PM EDT
The TV streaming company wants all documents, files and more regarding FCC Commissioner Meredith Attwell Baker and ivi.
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Worries Over Planned Video Description Rules
TVNewser,
May 13, 2011, 3:15 PM EDT
The National Association of Broadcasters and Fox News Channel are among those arguing that TV news should be exempt from video description rules the FCC is looking to establish, according to FCC filings.
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Baker Defends Decision To Take Comcast Job
New York Times,
May 13, 2011, 3:05 PM EDT
Meredith Attwell Baker, who announced earlier this week that she was leaving the agency to join the lobbying operations of Comcast, defended her actions on Friday, saying she had no contact with Comcast about potential employment while the company's merger with NBC Universal was pending before the commission earlier this year.
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FCC'S Baker To Resign, Join Comcast-NBCU
Politico,
May 11, 2011, 4:11 PM EDT
FCC Commissioner Meredith Attwell Baker plans to resign to take a job as the Washington, D.C., representative of NBCUniversal. Baker confirmed that she is leaving the post on June 3, but did not say what her intentions are. Comcast-NBCU, however, issued a release saying she will join Comcast as senior vice president of government affairs, NBCUniversal.
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FCC Gets Tough On Tower Violations
Broadcast Law Blog,
May 9, 2011, 7:52 AM EDT
Three recent FCC cases demonstrate how seriously the FCC views tower site issues — imposing fines up to $14,000 for various violations of FCC rules.
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Comments (8)
New NCTA Chief Powell Gets FCC Welcome
B&C,
May 5, 2011, 6:06 AM EDT
If Wednesday night's Washington reception for former FCC Chairman and now National Cable & Telecommunications Association President Michael Powell was any indication, he will have a respectful and attentive commission audience for his advocacy for the cable industry.
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analysis by Scott R. Flick
Will Marijuana Ads Affect License Renewals?
CommLawCenter,
May 3, 2011, 9:46 PM EDT
Broadcasters don't know it yet, but recent actions by the Department of Justice suggest that the federal government may be moving closer to raining on their upcoming license renewals. The reason? Medical marijuana advertising.
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Comments (1)
cash for spectrum
CBS Plans To Keep Its Stations' Spectrum
B&C,
Apr 29, 2011, 2:48 PM EDT
In its comments on the FCC's proposals on channel-sharing, spectrum "repacking" and improving VHF transmissions, CBS has taken a slightly less adversarial tone than the NAB, group owners representing hundreds of TV stations and state broadcast associations. And since it says it is not going to be selling its spectrum, or planning to share it with other stations, CBS put an emphasis on the FCC making sure those left behind are still in control of their own destiny.
Link
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Comments (4)
Group Owners: FCC Spectrum Plan Unlawful
B&C,
Apr 27, 2011, 6:46 PM EDT
State associations also oppose any plan without an enforceable guarantee that broadcasters will be held harmless in all respects.
Link
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Comments (4)
Open Mike by Patrick Maines
Michael Copps' Excellent Adventure
TVNewsCheck,
Apr 21, 2011, 6:00 AM EDT
FCC Commissioner Michael Copps is now in his 10th and final year as commissioner and he still isn't happy with the state of media and the journalism it supports. If he and the rest of the FCC couldn't fix things during the last decade, perhaps the problem all along hasn’t been consolidation or avarice as he argues. Maybe it’s been that what ails the media, and the way forward, are more complex than to be availing of the kind of nostrums Copps has been peddling.
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Petition Pushes FCC On Raycom Decision
B&C,
Apr 6, 2011, 6:00 AM EDT
Free Press filed a petition at the FCC from 150-plus Hawaiians asking it to act on a complaint against Raycom for its operation of three Honolulu TV stations under a shared services agreement. Free Press pointed out Tuesday that Media Council Hawaii had filed the complaint in October 2009 and no action has yet been taken.
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Jessell at Large
Local TV News Fix: Full Free Speech Rights
TVNewsCheck,
Apr 5, 2011, 3:29 PM EDT
Steve Waldman, the FCC's point man of saving local jounalism, might actually do some good by calling for full First Amendment rights for broadcasters. He can start by condemning the fines that the FCC imposed a couple of weeks ago on New Jersey's tiny WMGM and Fox O&O KMSP Minneapolis for running VNRs. The fines are an affront to the free speech rights of all broadcasters. Waldman should say so and call on Congress to get out of the business of regulating TV and radio content.
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Court Tosses Verizon's Net Neutrality Appeal
The Wrap,
Apr 4, 2011, 3:09 PM EDT
In a victory for the FCC's ability to regulate the Internet, a D.C. court today dismissed Verizon’s appeal of the commission's net neutrality rules.
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cash for spectrum
FCC To Move On Auctions 'Promptly'
CommLawBlog,
Apr 1, 2011, 7:39 AM EDT
Proving yet again that where there’s a will, there’s a way, the FCC has announced that it is proceeding with incentive auctions “promptly”. This is noteworthy, of course, because Congress still hasn’t gotten around to authorizing the sharing of auction proceeds — and the conventional wisdom has been that, without such authority, incentive auctions were a non-starter.
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Comments Date Set On FCC Retrans Rules
Broadcast Law Blog,
Mar 30, 2011, 7:42 AM EDT
The FCC's recent Notice of Proposed Rule Making exploring possible changes to the television retransmission consent rules has now been published in the
Federal Register setting the date for comments as May 27, with reply comments due by June 27.
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FCC Wants Comments On Ch. 51 Takeback
TVTechnology,
Mar 28, 2011, 3:10 PM EDT
Federal regulators are seeking feedback on a petition from the wireless industry to kick broadcasters off of ch. 51. The CTIA—The Wireless Association and the Rural Cellular Association filed a petition with the FCC asking for an immediate license freeze on ch. 51. They also want the FCC to clear the channel as soon as possible of broadcasters who "reach voluntary agreements to relocate to an alternate channel," according to the FCC's related Public Notice.
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Comments (12)
Spectrum Hearing Won't Move
B&C,
Mar 25, 2011, 8:25 AM EDT
A House Communications & Internet Subcommittee spokesperson said an April 12 hearing on spectrum issues will not be rescheduled again. It has a lot of competition for broadcaster and media attention since it is scheduled for the same day that thousands of broadcasters -- and FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski and Commissioner Meredith Attwell Baker -- will be in Las Vegas for NAB's annual convention.
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Issa Wants Info On FCC White House Visits
B&C,
Mar 24, 2011, 12:43 PM EDT
In a letter to the FCC chairman Julius Genachowski, Rep. Darrell Issa, who heads the House Oversight and Government Reform committee, says the FCC answers on the net neutrality rule process were not sufficient.
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Genachowski Defends FCC Budget On Hill
B&C,
Mar 24, 2011, 7:27 AM EDT
The FCC chairman is scheduled to appear before the Republican-led House Appropriations Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, Science and Related Agencies on March 30. The FCC's budget has been targeted by some House Republicans as a way to defund the commission's new network neutrality rules and to zero out funding for its chief diversity officer position.
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Genachowski Pushes For Spectrum Move
B&C,
Mar 23, 2011, 8:45 AM EDT
FCC chairman Julius Genachowski brought his call for moving swiftly to free up more wireless spectrum to the International CTIA show in Orlando, the wireless companies who have been pushing the FCC hard to make that happen.
Link
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Comments (2)
FCC Issues New Renewal Requirement
TVNewsCheck,
Mar 22, 2011, 4:53 PM EDT
The new requirement is aimed at advertising contracts that contain “no urban/no Spanish” dictates, by which advertisers and their agencies intentionally by-pass urban and Latino stations.
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Station Groups: FCC Proposals Are Illegal
B&C,
Mar 21, 2011, 2:10 PM EDT
More than two-dozen station groups and owners representing more than 200 TV stations across the country have banded together to tell the FCC that its approach to freeing up spectrum is illegal, and in comments to the FCC said, essentially, they can't comment fully on it because of the FCC's piecemeal approach to the issue.
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Broadcasters Give FCC Spectrum Plan
Broadcasting & Cable,
Mar 21, 2011, 8:51 AM EDT
Broadcasters have told the FCC to do some more looking before it makes its wireless spectrum leap. In comments on the FCC's spectrum proceeding, the National Association of Broadcasters outlined a five-point plan it said was the right way for the FCC to proceed.
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Walden Questions FCC Spectrum Plan
TVNewsCheck,
Mar 17, 2011, 3:17 PM EDT
Chairman of the House Communications Subcommittee and one-time radio broadcaster Greg Walden expesses doubt that the FCC plan for reclaiming broadcast spectrum is voluntary for broadcasters. He also joins broadcasters in calling for a spectrum inventory to determine whether taking back broadcast spectrum is truly necessary.
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Updated
Genachowski Defends Incentive Auctions
TVNewsCheck,
Mar 16, 2011, 1:33 PM EDT
The FCC chairman addresses what he calls "misimpressions," saying there is no spectrum hoarding by cable and wireless companies; that there is already a spectrum inventory; that spectrum subleasing by broadcasters won't solve the broadband spectrum shortage; and emphasizd that any spectrum repacking would be limited and stations would be fully reimbursed for any moves and "we would propose that stations not be forced to move from the UHF band to the VHF band; rather, any such moves would be purely voluntary."
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station advisory
FCC Adds Provisions To Renewal Form 303S
Broadcast Law Blog,
Mar 15, 2011, 7:38 AM EDT
The FCC released a Public Notice announcing new provisions in its license renewal Form 303S — the form that radio and television stations will be using to file license renewal applications, starting with license renewals for radio stations in DC, Virginia and West Virginia in June. The changes include the addition of certifications concerning whether a station was off the air at any point during the license term for more than 30 days; whether principals of the licensee have interests in daily newspapers in the same area; and whether the station is in compliance with the RF radiation rules.
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Goodmon Pitches Alternative Spectrum Plan
B&C,
Mar 14, 2011, 8:49 AM EDT
Contending that the FCC's plan for reclaiming broadcast spectrum will not work, Capitol Broadcasting Jim Goodmon CEO proposed an alternative "overlay" plan under which broadcasters would handle distribution of video when wireless broadband providers can't handle the traffic volume themselves.
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Jessell at Large
NAB Needs To Get Spectrum Act Together
TVNewsCheck,
Mar 11, 2011, 1:25 PM EST
The FCC plan to reclaim a big block of broadcast spectrum is the most critical issue facing broadcasters in the past three decades. So it's perplexing that they chose this time to shut down MSTV, their longtime spectrum policy lobby, and to diss NAB's top tech exec. Those moves raise the stakes in NAB's hiring of a new EVP of technology. The right person keeps broadcasting in the game. The wrong person puts it on the same grim road as newspapers.
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Comments (16)
FCC: Genachowski 'Very Happy' Where He Is
Adweek,
Mar 11, 2011, 6:58 AM EST
After reports that FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski is being considered to become secretary of Commerce, the FCC is making a show of denying the rumors, and emphasizing just how pleased Genachowski is in his current job.
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Comments (4)
jessell at large
Retrans Review Threatens Local Exclusivity
TVNewsCheck,
Mar 4, 2011, 3:25 PM EST
While the just-announced FCC review of its retransmission consent rules doesn’t include commission intervention when talks fail, there are some things broadcasters need to be wary of. Most important is the proposal to eliminate the non-dupe rule. Without it, cable systems would be able to import an affiliate from a another market to replace one that it loses in a retrans dispute with impunity.
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Comments (7)
FCC To Review Its Retrans Consent Rules
TVNewsCheck,
Mar 3, 2011, 3:29 PM EST
The commission will look at eliminating the network non-duplication and syndicated exclusivity and improving notice to consumers in advance of possible service disruption among other things.
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Comments (4)
cash for spectrum
Kerry-Snowe Introduce Incentive Auction Bill
B&C,
Mar 3, 2011, 5:51 AM EST
Sen. John Kerry (D-Mass.), chairman of the Senate Communications Subcommittee, and Rep. Olympia Snowe (R-Maine) introduced a bill that would authorize incentive auctions and require the FCC and NTIA to conduct a spectrum inventory. It would allow the FCC to determine how much to compensate broadcasters for giving up spectrum, but would also try to prevent speculation in those licenses.
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TVNewsCheck Focus on Washington
Stations Face 'Formidable' Spectrum Lobby
TVNewsCheck,
Mar 2, 2011, 8:34 AM EST
It's an uphill fight for broadcasters trying to stall or mitigate the FCC's plan to reclaim a large hunk of broadcast spectrum and repurpose it for wireless broadband. The plan enjoys the backing of some of the biggest names in wireless, consumer electronics and the high-tech world, not to mention the White House and fiscal conservatives on the Hill.
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FCC Dismissing Indecency Complaints
B&C,
Mar 1, 2011, 2:45 PM EST
The FCC has quietly dismissed indecency complaints against TV stations and more than 6,000 programs, which should clear the way for some of the 315 pending TV license renewals, most of which are being held up by the complaints, to be processed, said Robert McDowell, FCC commissioner.
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NAB's Smith: Dish, TWC 'Hoarding' Spectrum
TVNewsCheck,
Mar 1, 2011, 8:50 AM EST
The charge against the cable and satellite operators comes in a letter to key members of Congress. The NAB president also calls for a government investigation into “spectrum hoarding and/or spectrum speculation.”
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FCC Explores Improved TV Ratings, V-Chip
National Journal,
Feb 26, 2011, 7:34 AM EST
The Obama administration is considering an overhaul of the nation’s television content ratings, potentially enabling the use of alternatives from religious, parental, and other groups that utilize more rigorous standards, according to government, industry and advocacy sources.
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Rep. Rush Criticizes FCC Diversity Efforts
B&C,
Feb 25, 2011, 5:46 AM EST
Rep. Bobby Rush (D-Ill.) tells the commission he's "grossly underwhelmed" by what he calls its "lip service and platitudes."
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DirecTV Hopeful For Retrans Reform
Multichannel News,
Feb 24, 2011, 6:03 AM EST
With the FCC expected to discuss retransmission consent reform at its scheduled March 3 open meeting, DirecTV Chairman-CEO Mike White told analysts Wednesday he is hopeful change will come.
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FCC Releases Searchable Ownership Data
CommLawCenter,
Feb 23, 2011, 8:54 PM EST
While it has taken nearly two years to get there, the FCC on Wednesday announced the release of its new broadcast ownership data in a format that can be searched and manipulated for media and public policy research. For broadcasters, however, the more interesting part of this
Public Notice is what it says about broadcasters that failed to timely file their ownership reports.
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House To Block FCC's Net Neutrality Rules
The Wrap,
Feb 17, 2011, 10:33 PM EST
House Republicans approved a spending-bill amendment Thursday night that would block the FCC from enacting its sweeping net neutrality regulations.
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cash for spectrum
FCC Webinars To Tout Spectrum Reallocating
CommLawBlog,
Feb 14, 2011, 3:21 PM EST
As far as the commission’s concerned, it’s apparently all systems go and full speed ahead with the effort to encourage TV broadcasters to relinquish their spectrum so that it can be used to further the National Broadband Plan. The latest evidence of this is the commission's plan to offer webinars for stations to explain, it says, "the financial opportunities offered by voluntary incentive auctions" and answer questions, including ones on "the need to repack the remaining television channels following the auction."
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FCC Nixes OFDM Experiment Request
Television Broadcast,
Feb 14, 2011, 2:52 PM EST
An experimental license for a new system for mobile DTV transmission was denied by the FCC. The license was sought by WatchTV, a Portland, Ore., low-power TV concern headed by Greg Herman, also president of SpectrumEvolution.org, a coalition advocating for the new hybrid DTV/broadband delivery system.
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Comments (3)
Next FCC Meeting Full Of Broadasting Issues
Broadcast Law Blog,
Feb 14, 2011, 7:40 AM EST
After a series of FCC meetings where the only mention of broadcasters was in connection with taking TV spectrum for wireless broadband, the
tentative agenda for the next FCC meeting, to be held on March 3, is full of broadcast issues — issues that could have broadcasters wishing that they were ignored once more.
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FCC Officially Puts Retrans On The Agenda
Adweek,
Feb 11, 2011, 3:04 PM EST
As expected, the FCC put retransmission consent reform on the agenda for its March 3 open meeting but was short on the details about the item. In announcing the proceeding, the commission said it would open up a notice of proposed rulemaking "to streamline and clarify the commission's rules."
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cash for spectrum
President's High-Wireless Act Draws A Crowd
B&C,
Feb 10, 2011, 4:39 PM EST
Reaction poured in Thursday following delivery of President Obama's speech in Michigan promoting his national wireless plan, which aims to reclaim enough spectrum from broadcasters and others to get 4G wireless broadband service to 98% of America within five years. NAB won't oppose, but says broadcasters and viewers should be "held harmless."
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Preparing for Retrans Negotiations
Closing The Network Nonduplication Gap
CommLawCenter,
Feb 9, 2011, 2:50 PM EST
Many TV stations are no longer vigilant in sending out network non-duplication or syndicated exclusivity notices. Recent developments arising in retransmission consent negotiations, however, make clear that stations need to be more diligent than ever in making sure that they send out timely notices, and that the notices conform to all FCC requirements.
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Sources: Retrans Reform On March Agenda
Multichannel News,
Feb 7, 2011, 3:04 PM EST
Look for the FCC's much-anticipated rulemaking proposal on retransmission consent reforms to be voted on at the March 3 open meeting. That is according to sources familiar with the FCC's agenda plans, who say to look for it on the tentative agenda list Thursday (Feb. 10) that the commission releases three weeks before the meeting.
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Q&A with Sinclair's Mark Aitken
Aitken: Stations In Regulatory Straitjacket
Broadcast Engineering,
Feb 4, 2011, 6:26 AM EST
U.S. TV broadcastersface a competitive situation similar to a prizefighter who’s forced to wear a straitjacket when facing the World Heavy Weight Champion.That’s the view of Mark Aitken, director of advanced technology at Sinclair Broadcast Group. On the one hand, they are required by law to transmit DTV using the ATSC A/53 standard, and on the other, they are being pushed into a knockdown, drag-out battle with wireless providers that covet their spectrum and are being cheered on by the FCC.
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EAS Tests Soon To Become A National Affair
CommLawCenter,
Feb 3, 2011, 9:29 PM EST
Late Thursday, the FCC released an
Order laying the groundwork for the first national test of the Emergency Alert System. The order modifies the FCC's rules to authorize such tests as well as to establish the ground rules for conducting them.
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FCC Reforms Ex Parte Rules
B&C,
Feb 3, 2011, 2:37 PM EST
The FCC will now require documentation of all ex parte meetings and other oral communications between outside parties and commission staffers on issues under its consideration, not just those dealing with new information or new arguments, and the Enforcement Bureau will be empowered to impose fines for violations.
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station advisory
FCC Renewal Certification Requires Attention
CommLawCenter,
Feb 1, 2011, 2:34 PM EST
The Office of Management and Budget is currently considering whether to approve a revised version of FCC Form 303-S, the "Application For Renewal of Broadcast Station License" that all commercial and noncommercial full-power radio and television stations will be required to use when they file for their next renewal of license. The FCC has made several modifications to the prior version of the form.
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FCC Wants Neutrality Challenges Dismissed
The Wrap,
Jan 31, 2011, 4:04 PM EST
The FCC struck back Monday at Verizon and MetroPCS' challenge to its new net neutrality guidelines. In several motions filed with the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit, the FCC asked the court to dismiss both companies’ complaints.
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commentary by Harold Furchtgott-Roth
FCC Confuses Expropriation With Incentives
Forbes,
Jan 28, 2011, 11:00 AM EST
the former FCC commissioner says that "incentive auctions are little different from expropriation of property, far worse than the usual government condemnation of property under eminent domain." He goes on to say "There is a better way: Simply rezone broadcast spectrum to permit other uses, and let anyone buy and sell it."
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Battle Brewing Over Ch. 6 and FM LPTVs
BroadcastLawBlog,
Jan 26, 2011, 7:34 AM EST
A controversy has bubbled up in connection with the FCC proceeding to set the date by which Low Power Television stations will be required to convert to digital operations. In comments filed in the proceeding to set the end date, the question of when to terminate analog broadcasting became tangled in another issue — whether ch. 6 LPTV stations should be allowed to continue to be be used to broadcast FM programming.
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cash for spectrum
Broadcasters Resist Plan To Cede Airwaves
Washington Post,
Jan 20, 2011, 6:34 AM EST
Many broadcasters are already worried about declining viewers, and now they say the government wants to take away something more: the airwaves themselves.
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Comments (7)
Comcast-NBCU Merger
FCC Imposes New Obligations On NBC O&Os
TVNewsCheck,
Jan 18, 2011, 2:52 PM EST
The FCC's approval of Comcast's $13.75 billion takeover of NBCU requires the O&Os to air “thousands of additional hours of local news and information programming.” In addition, the agency said, some of the stations must enter into cooperative arrangements with locally focused nonprofit news organizations and they must provide free, on-demand local programming. According to an FCC source, NBC and Telemundo stations must also air a fourth hour of children's programming each week. Full Story
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station reminder
Renew Now To Avoid Children's TV Fines
CommLawCenter,
Jan 18, 2011, 7:35 AM EST
No, the FCC has not instituted an early-filing program so licensees can get that pesky license renewal out of the way. Instead, in 2010 it cleaned up television license renewal applications that had been hanging around since the last renewal cycle, issuing nearly $350,000.00 in children's television fines to some 20 licensees. So, here is an update on a kidvid requirement that stations often overlook, but which the FCC does not.
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Retrans wars
FCC To Study Retransmission Fees
New York Times,
Jan 17, 2011, 7:36 AM EST
The commission is preparing to revisit the rules that govern the retransmission of local television stations by cable and satellite companies. The industry will be looking for the first signs of a reform plan when the FCC releases its February meeting agenda on Tuesday.
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Eight In Running For TVs In N.J., Del.
Television Broadcast,
Jan 14, 2011, 6:15 AM EST
Eight applicants have met the initial criteria to bid for two full-power TV station licenses. The FCC on Thursday released the status of short-form applications in the upcoming auction of VHF licenses for Atlantic City, N.J., and Seaford, Del. Neither state had a full-power VHF licensee after the June 2009 DTV transition. Federal law requires each state to have at least one.
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Neutrality Provisions Key To Comcast-NBCU
Washington Post,
Jan 13, 2011, 8:09 AM EST
Federal regulators aren't expected to decide this week on whether to approve a merger of Comcast and NBC Universal, as they weigh placing conditions on Internet access, as well as other requirements, according to sources familiar with the reviews.
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Slew Of Last-Minute Comcast-NBCU Lobbying
Los Angeles Times,
Jan 11, 2011, 6:19 AM EST
With the FCC and the Justice Department gearing up to give their blessing to Comcast Corp.'s proposed deal to take control of General Electric Co.'s NBC Universal, a flurry of last-minute lobbying is being done by both those in favor and those against the marriage of the two media giants.
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David Hunt Named FCC Inspector General
TVNewsCheck,
Jan 10, 2011, 2:41 PM EST
The commission makes permanent the position he's held on acting basis since last June.
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ces 2011
Genachowski Takes Spectrum Push To CES
B&C,
Jan 7, 2011, 6:09 AM EST
FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski will tell Consumer Electronics Show attendees that broadcasters who are not making "effective use of the capabilities of their spectrum" should have it put to a "higher use for other purposes."
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Comcast-NBCU Vote Not On FCC Agenda
Mediaweek,
Jan 6, 2011, 6:12 AM EST
The Comcast-NBC Universal transaction was not on the agenda for the next FCC open meeting, leaving insiders to speculate whether the FCC will vote on the joint venture before Jan. 25.
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FCC Media Bureau Cracks The EEO Whip
CommLawBlog,
Jan 4, 2011, 7:46 AM EST
The Media Bureau celebrated the end of 2010 (or maybe the arrival of 2011) by serving warning that, for every single job opening — no exceptions — broadcasters must notify multiple recruitment sources that are likely to refer applicants from diverse backgrounds. Exclusive reliance on over-the-air announcements and Internet postings will
not do the trick.
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Important 2011 Dates For TV, Radio Stations
BroadcastLawBlog,
Jan 4, 2011, 7:46 AM EST
analysis
A Legal Look Ahead To Next Year
CommLawCenter,
Dec 29, 2010, 8:17 PM EST
2011 will be a busy year for broadcasters with retrans, renewals and indecency, as well as for cable and satellite operators as well.
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FCC Asked To Delay Comcast-NBCU Vote
B&C,
Dec 29, 2010, 5:45 AM EST
The public interest groups say the FCC record is not complete without Comcast programming contracts; the MSO maintains it complied with info requests.
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FCC, CBS Continue Battle Over 'Nipplegate'
B&C,
Dec 27, 2010, 2:39 PM EST
The Third Circuit Court of Appeals is reviewing its earlier decision on the FCC's$550,000 fine of CBS for Janet Jackson's partially exposed breast on the 2004 Super Bowl halftime show.
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FCC Poised To Adopt Net Neutrality Rules
Associated Press,
Dec 21, 2010, 5:52 AM EST
The rules, expected to be approved today, would prohibit phone and cable companies from abusing their control over broadband connections to discriminate against rival content or services, such as Internet phone calls or online video, or play favorites with Web traffic.
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Much To Come From FCC As Year Ends
Washington Post,
Dec 20, 2010, 6:39 AM EST
America's beloved television is getting an extreme Internet makeover, and questions over what shows viewers will see online and how much they pay for them could soon be resolved by the FCC. In coming weeks, the commission is expected to decide on Internet access regulation and a proposed merger by Comcast and NBC Universal that could chart a new course for the future of TV.
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dma 42
KTUD-LP Wants To Shut Down Analog Transmitter
Television Broadcast,
Dec 15, 2010, 2:51 PM EST
Comcast-NBCU Decision Urged By Year's End
B&C,
Dec 14, 2010, 6:04 AM EST
Incoming House Energy & Commerce Committee Chairman Fred Upton counseled the FCC to not delay a decision on the Comcast-NBCU merger, saying it could create more uncertainty for businesses "looking to invest, innovate and create jobs."
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Web Video Key To Comcast-NBCU Review
Associated Press,
Dec 13, 2010, 5:49 AM EST
Regulators are pushing for tough conditions to ensure that Comcast can't stifle online video services by withholding content or pushing up prices for marquee NBC programs at a time viewers are starting to turn to the Internet for recent movies or the latest episodes of
Saturday Night Live, 30 Rock and other popular TV shows.
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Copps: FCC Shouldn't Reinstate Fairness
B&C,
Dec 10, 2010, 8:50 PM EST
"I do not believe the FCC should reinstate the Fairness Doctrine." That was the message Friday from FCC Commissioner Michael Copps to Rep. Joe Barton. Barton had asked Copps to clarify that point after the commissioner's speech at Columbia University where he talked about the government applying a more stringent public interest test on broadcasters.
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Retrans Watchers Focused On FCC Report
CommLawCenter,
Dec 10, 2010, 3:48 PM EST
Genachowski Pokes Fun At Himself
B&C,
Dec 10, 2010, 8:13 AM EST
Last night, FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski poked fun at his reputation, fair or not, for indecision; for his lawyerly evasion of questions; his aborted attempt at Title II reclassification; and other criticisms leveled by both industry and the public interest community. But he had plenty of deprecation left over for everybody else, including NCTA's Kyle McSlarrow, Verizon, Free Press and even his predecessors in the FCC’s big chair.
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FCC To Issue Rulemaking On Retrans
B&C,
Dec 8, 2010, 11:21 AM EST
FCC Media Bureau Chief Bill Lake announced today that the FCC plans to issue a proposed rulemaking on retransmission consent to provide "some limited guidance" on what good faith bargaining entails
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White Space Rules Go Into Effect Jan. 5, 2011
Television Broadcast,
Dec 6, 2010, 3:11 PM EST
The rules governing the use of unlicensed devices in TV white spaces will officially go into effect Jan. 5, 2011. The rules, adopted by the FCC in September, have been published in the
Federal Register, the final step of codification.
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Jessell at large
Time For FCC To Divulge TV Repacking Plan
TVNewsCheck,
Dec 3, 2010, 3:27 PM EST
While the FCC hopes to take back some of TV's valuable space by tempting broadcasters to voluntarily put it up for auction, it's also threatening to get some by repacking the band. But what's most galling is that it still hasn't released its repacking models that spell out exactly what it wants to do. They've been "forthcoming" since March.
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Copps Wants New License Renewal Standard
New York Times,
Dec 3, 2010, 6:46 AM EST
FCC Commissioner Michael J. Copps says TV and radio stations should be required to air more public interest programming as a condition of license renewal.
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Genachowski Circulates Net Neutrality Item
B&C,
Dec 1, 2010, 6:11 AM EST
FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski late Tuesday night circulated a network neutrality item to the other commissioners for a planned vote at a Dec. 21 meeting, according to a source close to one of those commissioners. That was confirmed by an agenda notice issued by the FCC shortly after midnight.
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cash for spectrum
NAB Wary Of TV 'Degradation' From FCC Plan
TVNewsCheck,
Nov 30, 2010, 4:20 PM EST
NAB President Gordon Smith says that while it doesn't object to "truly voluntary" incentive auctions for TV spectrum, he vows to fight any "government-mandated signal strength degradations or limitations, and new spectrum taxes that threaten the future of free and local broadcasting."
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FCC Mulls Broadcast Airwaves For Wireless
Reuters,
Nov 30, 2010, 6:48 AM EST
The FCC today will vote on proposals to free up more airwaves for commercial wireless use in a meeting that could be overshadowed if plans to act on contentious Internet traffic rules are circulated. For more on the impact on television stations,
click here.
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TVNewsCheck FOCUS ON WASHINGTON
FCC Begins Plan To Take Back TV Spectrum
TVNewsCheck,
Nov 24, 2010, 8:40 AM EST
Next Tuesday, Nov. 30, the FCC will launch its rulemaking aimed at freeing up broadcast spectrum through repacking of the band and channel sharing. It will look for ways to improve the VHF band, suggesting that the FCC intends to drive more stations into the band as part of the repacking scheme.
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FCC Rules Tip Retrans Leverage To Satellite
Television Broadcast,
Nov 24, 2010, 6:00 AM EST
Satellite TV providers can shop around for TV station signals. The FCC has codified the Satellite Television Extension and Localism Act of 2010, eliminating a requirement for carriage of in-market TV stations.
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FCC Grants EAS CAP Extension
CommLawCenter,
Nov 23, 2010, 4:57 PM EST
The FCC on Tuesday extended the CAP deadline for all EAS participants to acquire and install the equipment necessary to use the Common Alerting Protocol (CAP) standard for EAS alerts.from March 29, 2011, to Sept. 30, 2011.
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Comcast-Tennis Ch. Dispute Going To FCC
B&C,
Nov 23, 2010, 3:00 PM EST
Comcast confirms that its outside mediation with Tennis Channel to try to resolve a carriage complaint has failed and the dispute will now go before an FCC administrative law judge.
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FCC Makes Tower Owners' Lives Easier
BroadcastLawBlog,
Nov 22, 2010, 7:44 AM EST
Operating a communications tower can always lead to issues, but two recent FCC decisions give tower owners some degree of relief.
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Web 2.0 Summit
FCC Chief: U.S. Faces 'Innovators' Dilemma'
CNET,
Nov 18, 2010, 7:14 AM EST
Most of the big-ticket speakers at the Web 2.0 Summit this week gave talks that were carefully guarded, offering little deep insight into the tumultuous state of the fast-evolving tech industry out of necessary trade-secrecy. Not FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski, who wasn't too subtle about implying that he's got a lot on his plate and it's tough to digest.
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Comcast Talks With Govt. On NBC Heat Up
Reuters,
Nov 17, 2010, 6:05 AM EST
Talks have intensified in recent days between U.S. regulators and representatives of cable giant Comcast Corp. over its bid to take control of NBC Universal, according to people familiar with the talks. Comcast is pushing to close the deal by year-end, the sources said.
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Genachowski: TV Is 'Obstacle' To Broadband
TVNewsCheck,
Nov 16, 2010, 12:37 PM EST
FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski tells the National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners that the current broadcast spectrum allocations "still reflect the previous era. This presents a real obstacle as we try to ensure a spectrum infrastructure for the new world of mobile broadband.” To get things moving, he said, the FCC will consider at its Nov. 30 meeting launching a proceeding that would lift technical restrictions so broadcast spectrum can be used for broadband, and that would allow channel sharing among broadcasters.
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Senator Wants FCC To Block Comcast-NBCU
Hollywood Reporter,
Nov 16, 2010, 5:59 AM EST
Virginia's Bernie Sanders says the new conglomerate would cause "irreparable damage to the American media landscape and ultimately to society as a whole."
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FCC Quizzes Ivi CEO On Comcast-NBCU
B&C,
Nov 12, 2010, 5:19 PM EST
The FCC sought out ivi TV CEO Todd Weaver to talk about the Comcast/NBCU merger's online content access implications, according to a spokesman for the company.
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cash for spectrum
Qualcomm CEO: TV Will Give Up Spectrum
B&C,
Nov 12, 2010, 5:51 AM EST
Paul Jacobs wonders whether broadcasters will "want to waste the electricity to run the towers" if they can get guaranteed carriage of their content on other platforms.
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Carey Blames Govt. For Retrans Blackout
Bloomberg,
Nov 9, 2010, 3:06 PM EST
News Corp.'s Chase Carey, the man who oversaw Fox's talks with Cablevision Systems Corp. during a two- week blackout, has advice for government officials who want to keep more TV channels from going dark: Stop meddling.
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Jessell at large
Outfoxed, The FCC Changes Its Own Rules
TVNewsCheck,
Nov 5, 2010, 12:52 PM EDT
After Bob McAllan found a loophole in the FCC's rules and sought to move two stations from the Rocky Mountain area to the New York and Philadelphia markets, the commission turned him down and put two new channels up for auction there. He's asking for a review so he can take the matter to court, but the FCC remains silent, scheduling the auction for February. He deserves his day in court.
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FCC Sets Station Auctions For Feb. 15
Broadcast Law Blog,
Nov 3, 2010, 7:56 AM EDT
The commission has now officially slated the auction of two new channels — ch. 4 in Atlantic City, N.J., and ch. 5 in Seaford, Del.) — for Tuesday, Feb. 15, 2011.
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Q&A WITH BLAIR LEVIN
The Man With The (National Broadband) Plan
CNET,
Nov 3, 2010, 7:45 AM EDT
Blair Levin, former executive director of the National Broadband Plan — a report that was presented to Congress last March and was supposed to serve as a blue print for policy makers to bring ubiquitous access for broadband to all Americans — talks about how he thinks things are shaping up for the plan's implementation.
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