Effective at 5 p.m. EST today, Wednesday, January 12, the FCC’s Media Bureau will no longer accept filings in the Consolidated Database System (CDBS). This move by the Media Bureau is part of the ongoing transition to the Licensing and Management System (LMS) database. The Media Bureau’s sunsetting of CDBS filings will be permanent. The … Continue Reading
On January 27, 2022, the FCC will hold its monthly open meeting. The meeting will address increasing the transparency of internet access service providers, amending the definition of a library to clarify that Tribal libraries are eligible for support from the E-Rate program, and resolving issues associated with white space devices and databases. The most … Continue Reading
On Tuesday December 12, the Senate voted 68 to 31 confirming Jessica Rosenworcel for a third five-year term. The vote came just weeks before her term ended and officially confirmed Rosenworcel as the first female chair of the FCC in the 86-year history of the agency. Although the confirmation of Rosenworcel blocked the GOP from … Continue Reading
On Thursday, November 18, 2021, the FCC will host its November Open Meeting. The headlining item this month addresses the ability to text 988, the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline 3-digit number. The FCC adopted an item that assigned 988 as the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline and required certain providers to support calling to that number … Continue Reading
The Federal Communications Commission has continued to show its commitment to digital equity by committing $1.1 billion to schools and libraries in the second wave of the $7.17 billion Emergency Connectivity Fund (ECF) program. This funding supports off-premises educational needs in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, Guam, and the Virgin Islands. … Continue Reading
The FCC’s Advisory Committee on Diversity and Digital Empowerment (ACDDE) has been rechartered and rebranded as the Communications Equity and Diversity Council (CEDC). Fletcher Heald partner Frank Montero served on the ACDDE in the early 2000s when it was first established. The overall mission for the CEDC is to expand on the work done by … Continue Reading
This month, President Biden has finally announced nominations for FCC Chair in Jessica Rosenworcel and for the open Democratic seat on the FCC in Gigi Sohn, respectively. The President also announced his nomination of Alan Davidson for Director of the National Telecommunications and Information Administration at the Department of Commerce. With the dual FCC nominations, … Continue Reading
Broadcast Deadlines: June 1, 2021 Radio License Renewal Applications Due – Applications for renewal of license for radio stations located in Arizona, Idaho, Nevada, New Mexico, Utah, and Wyoming must be filed in Licensing and Management System (LMS). These applications must be accompanied by Schedule 396, the Broadcast Equal Employment Opportunity Program Report (EEO), also … Continue Reading
Broadcast Deadlines: June 1, 2021 Radio License Renewal Applications Due – Applications for renewal of license for radio stations located in Arizona, Idaho, Nevada, New Mexico, Utah, and Wyoming must be filed in Licensing and Management System (LMS). These applications must be accompanied by Schedule 396, the Broadcast Equal Employment Opportunity Program Report (EEO), also … Continue Reading
Last week, the Federal Communications Commission (“FCC”) announced that the next Full Power Non-Commercial Educational Station (“NCE”) Filing Window would take place from November 2, 2021 to November 9, 2021. Those that wish to apply must file a Form 2100, Schedule 340 electronically through the FCC’s Licensing & Management System (“LMS”). The FCC is limiting each … Continue Reading
On March 23, Fletcher Heald attorney Thomas Urban presented a webinar on how COVID-19 has affected contract litigation and how companies should be prepared for future public health emergencies. During the presentation, Tom broke down the differences in contract doctrines and provided viewers with specific case law that could be applicable in potential lawsuits. The … Continue Reading
Broadcast Deadlines: April 1, 2021 Radio License Renewal Applications Due – Applications for renewal of license for radio stations located in Texas must be filed in Licensing and Management System (LMS). These applications must be accompanied by Schedule 396, the Broadcast Equal Employment Opportunity Program Report (EEO), also filed in LMS, regardless of the number … Continue Reading
For over a year, COVID-19 has created immeasurable change to our way of life and the global economy. By now, you have probably already heard of or dealt with contractual disputes—from advertising to insurance and many other fields—related to non-performance caused by the pandemic. While many cases are still being litigated, it is important to … Continue Reading
Washington, DC – The Members of telecommunications, media, and technology law firm Fletcher, Heald & Hildreth, PLC are proud to announce that they have elected Thomas F. Urban II as a Member of the Firm effective immediately. Joining the firm in January 2020, Mr. Urban had an impactful first year with his active litigation practice, … Continue Reading
Broadcast Deadlines: March 12, 2021 NPRM: Permit FM Booster Stations to Transmit Geo-Targeted Content – Reply Comments are due in response to the Federal Communications Commission (“FCC” or the “Commission”) Notice of Proposed Rulemaking with regard to possible changes to the booster station rules that could enable FM broadcasters to use FM booster stations to … Continue Reading
For over a year, COVID-19 has created immeasurable change to our way of life and the global economy. By now, you have probably already heard of or dealt with contractual disputes—from advertising to insurance and many other fields—related to non-performance caused by the pandemic. While many cases are still being litigated, it is important to … Continue Reading
Broadcast Deadlines: February 1, 2021 Radio License Renewal Applications Due – Applications for renewal of license for radio stations located in Kansas, Nebraska, and Oklahoma must be filed in the Licensing and Management System (“LMS”). These applications must be accompanied by Schedule 396, the Broadcast Equal Employment Opportunity (“EEO”) Program Report, also filed in LMS, … Continue Reading
Broadcast Deadlines: January 30, 2021 Children’s Television Programming Reports – Each commercial TV and Class A television station must electronically file its annual Children’s Television Programming Report, on FCC Form 2100 Schedule H, to report on programming aired by the station and other efforts in 2020 that were specifically designed to serve the educational and … Continue Reading
Yesterday, the Federal Communications Commission’s (“FCC”) Enforcement Bureau released three Notices of Illegal Pirate Radio Broadcasting to multiple New York City-based property managers for housing an unlicensed radio broadcasting operation. In conjunction with the notices, the FCC issued an Order – without the typical notice and comment procedures – implementing the Preventing Illegal Radio Abuse Through Enforcement Act (“PIRATE … Continue Reading
Over the last few weeks, attorneys Bob Winteringham, Dan Kirkpatrick, and Frank Montero have presented a series of compliance webinars for the National Education Telecommunications Association as a part of their course entitled “Navigating Common Compliance Matter,” which covered important compliance topics for broadcast stations. Those webinar topics include: Corporation for Public Broadcasting compliance … Continue Reading
December 1, 2020 Radio License Renewal Applications Due – Applications for renewal of license for radio stations located in Colorado, Minnesota, Montana, North Dakota, and South Dakota must be filed in the Licensing and Management System (LMS). These applications must be accompanied by Schedule 396, the Broadcast Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) Program Report, also filed … Continue Reading
The following is a message from the Federal Communications Bar Association (“FCBA”): It’s that time again – on Tuesday, November 10, 2020, the FCBA Young Lawyers Committee and the FCBA Foundation will hold their 31st Annual FCBA Charity Auction virtually this year. While the event is still free and open to the public, unlike prior … Continue Reading
Back in August, we wrote about the Federal Communications Commission’s (“FCC”) decision to end the prohibition of commonly owned radio stations in the same service (AM or FM) that have 50% or more overlap of their primary service contours from duplicating more than 25% of their programming. Now that the decision is published in the Federal Register, it … Continue Reading
On October 29, Fletcher Heald attorneys Frank Montero and Keenan Adamchak in cooperation with the National Federation of Community Broadcasters (“NFCB”) presented a webinar on the upcoming noncommercial educational (“NCE”) FM and lower power FM (“LPFM”) filing windows. In this webinar, they explored the NCE and LPFM application forms, processes, and FCC tie-breaking criteria, as well as pointing out … Continue Reading
