Bulletin Categories: FCC Regulatory Reform

Public Inspection File Update: the FCC’s Elimination of Correspondence Files Is Under Review at OMB March 31, 2017

As we reported previously, one of the first actions taken by the FCC under the Chairmanship of Ajit Pai was to vote in favor of the elimination of the rule...

FCC to Consider Reinstatement of UHF Discount March 31, 2017

The FCC has released the tentative agenda for its April 20 meeting, which includes the adoption of a proposed order to reinstate the UHF discount component of the national television...

FCC Officially Launches ATSC 3.0 Rulemaking Proceeding and Relaxes Geographic Restrictions on Siting of FM Translators for AM Stations February 24, 2017

Thursday morning, February 23, at its monthly meeting, the Commission took action in two proceedings of great interest to broadcasters: (1) the FCC formally launched its rulemaking proceeding on the...

FCC Eliminates “Correspondence Folder” from Commercial Broadcaster Public Inspection File Requirements January 31, 2017

At today’s meeting—the first under new Chairman Ajit Pai—the three-member Commission voted unanimously to eliminate the requirement that commercial broadcast stations retain and make publicly available (as part of the...

FCC Proposes to Eliminate Public Correspondence Files for Commercial Stations May 25, 2016

At its open meeting today, May 25, the FCC adopted a Notice of Proposed Rule Making (“Notice”) relating to broadcast station public inspection files. The principal proposal in the Notice...

Will the FCC Get a Prize for Adopting New Rules to “Modernize” the Station-Conducted Contest Regulations? September 1, 2015

On August 27, the FCC released the “tentative” agenda for its open meeting scheduled for September 17, and we are excited to report that the following item is listed: Modernizing...

Cable Operator Asks FCC to Adopt New Retransmission Consent Blackout Rule; FCC Seeks Input July 22, 2015

The FCC is seeking feedback on cable operator Mediacom’s recently filed petition that asks the FCC to change its retransmission consent rules to condition a TV station’s license renewal on...

Potential Complication for Retrans Negotiations: The FCC’s Recent Cable Rate Deregulation Decision June 10, 2015

Last week, the FCC adopted an Order establishing a “rebuttable presumption” that all cable operators are subject to “effective competition.” Over the vigorous objection of broadcasters, public interest groups, and...

Commissioner O’Rielly Invites FCC to Modernize EEO “Widespread Dissemination” Rule February 26, 2015

In a blog post released February 20, Commissioner Michael O’Rielly publicly invited the FCC to consider modernizing its EEO rules to take account of the near-ubiquity of the Internet as...

Comment Dates Established in Proceeding to Modernize FCC’S Station-Conducted Contest Regulation December 19, 2014

In our Nov. 25 Legal Update, we reported on the FCC’s proceeding to “modernize” its decades-old station-conducted contest rule. In that proceeding, the FCC has proposed, among other things, to give...