Radio

Radio Performance Tax Legislation Reintroduced; AMFA and LRFA Again Go Head to Head February 20, 2023

Yes, you read that headline correctly: the same performance tax bill from the last U.S. congressional session—the American Music Fairness Act (the “AMFA”)—has been introduced in the current Congress, along...

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GMR Settles Lawsuits with Two Radio Groups February 10, 2023

We previously reported that the Performing Rights Organization (“PRO”) Global Music Rights (“GMR”) had filed lawsuits against three radio groups, claiming the groups infringed on copyrights administered by GMR by...

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Beginning April 1st Audio Division Filings Must Use 2020 Decennial Census Data February 10, 2023

By recent Public Notice (the “Notice”), the Commission announced that, effective April 1, 2023, petitioners and applicants submitting filings to the Audio Division—i.e., radio broadcasters—must use 2020 Census data when...

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Global Music Rights Sues Three Radio Groups for Copyright Infringement October 18, 2022

In recent weeks, performing rights organization (“PRO”) Global Music Rights (“GMR”) filed lawsuits against three radio groups, claiming the groups have infringed on copyrights administered by GMR by playing music...

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FCC Limits Several Recent Radio Station License Renewal Grants to One Year Terms Due to Lengthy Periods of Station Silence July 25, 2022

Two recent FCC Orders and Consent Decrees (the “First Order” and “Second Order”, and collectively the “Orders”) highlight the importance of broadcast licensees’ adherence to regular station operating schedules.  Specifically,...

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January 31, 2022: Deadline for Commercial Radio Stations to Sign and Return Conditional GMR License Agreement January 25, 2022

Commercial radio broadcasters have less than one week left to decide whether they wish to sign and return the conditional license agreement that Global Music Rights (“GMR”) transmitted to stations...

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RMLC and GMR Announce Conditional Confidential Settlement Agreement – Commercial Broadcaster Action Required by January 31, 2022 January 6, 2022

We write regarding an important new development in the long-running dispute between the Radio Music License Committee (RMLC) and Global Music Rights (GMR) over public performance licensing of musical works...

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November 2nd to 9th, 2021: Filing Window for Applications for New NCE FM Station Construction Permits on FM Reserved Band; 10-Application Limit Applicable to Filing Window November 4, 2021

During the brief seven day period between November 2 and November 9, NCE broadcasters are presented with a relatively infrequent opportunity—as we have previously written, an FCC filing window to...

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FCC Issues Two Notices of Violation Regarding FM Translators’ Apparent Violations of FCC Technical Rules August 18, 2021

An FM translator licensee (the “Licensee”) was the recent recipient of two Notices of Violation (the “NOVs”) (1, 2) relating to two of its California translators.  According to the NOVs,...

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New Performance Tax Legislation Introduced in Congress July 1, 2021

Broadcasters are again facing proposed federal legislation that—if adopted—would impose a “performance tax” on local radio broadcasters, compelling them to pay royalties on recorded music.  The so-called “American Music Fairness...

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