Bulletin Categories: Political Broadcasting

Special Election LUC Windows to Open June 19 and September 3 April 27, 2021

Ohio has another special election on the horizon, this time for the 15th Congressional District for the U.S. House of Representatives, which will have FCC regulatory implications for broadcasters. The...

FCC Issues Enforcement Advisory Targeting Sponsorship Identification Requirements March 19, 2021

The FCC recently released an “Enforcement Advisory” (complete with the colorful graphic you see immediately above) reminding broadcasters of their obligations to comply with the Commission’s sponsorship identification requirements. The...

Numerous Radio Broadcasters Still Entering Into Political File Consent Decrees February 19, 2021

Political file consent decrees continue to be inked between the Commission and various radio broadcasters at a fairly steady clip. By our count, approximately a dozen additional political file consent...

Political File Consent Decrees Continue to Roll In December 21, 2020

Political file consent decrees continue to be inked between the Commission and various radio broadcasters at a fairly steady clip. By our count, more than a dozen political file consent...

Media Bureau Sending Proposed Consent Decrees to Many Radio Stations Just Days After Entering Into Consent Decrees with Six Large Radio Station Groups to Resolve Numerous Political File Violations July 30, 2020

We have learned that many radio broadcasters across the country whose recent license renewal applications have yet to be granted (or denied) have begun receiving correspondence from the Media Bureau,...

FCC Releases Order Offering Greater Clarification of October 2019 Political File Clarification Order April 23, 2020

On Tuesday afternoon, April 21, 2020, the FCC issued an Order on Reconsideration (the “Order”) further “clarifying” certain aspects of its October 2019 Political File Clarification Order (the “October Order”). ...

LUC Window for Ohio’s March 17 Primary Is Open Until April 28, 2020 March 26, 2020

As you know, Ohio’s March 17, 2020, primary election was unusual: polls were ordered to stay closed as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic, but the primary was not rescheduled...

NAB’s New Political Broadcasting “PB-19” Forms Now Available February 26, 2020

As broadcasters are well aware, the FCC’s rules require each station to maintain in the “political file” folder of its online public inspection file certain records concerning all requests for...

FCC Extends Reply Comment Deadline on Petition for Reconsideration of Recent Political File Clarification Orders to January 28, 2020 January 6, 2020

Broadcasters wishing to weigh in on the pending Petition for Reconsideration (the “Recon Petition”) of the Commission’s two recent “political clarification” Orders (the “Orders”) have a little more time to...

FCC Admonishes Stations for Alleged Political File Deficiencies December 12, 2019

It appears that the FCC is serious about cracking down on broadcast licensees who have, in the Commission’s eyes, violated its recently “clarified” political file rules. In an Order released...