FHH attorneys Frank Montero and Seth Williams will present a webinar for the Media Financial Management Association’s town hall series. Their presentation, titled Advertising Marijuana and other “Vices” Under the Trump/Carr FCC, will take place March 20, 2025, at 2:00 PM EDT. The presentation will last about an hour, including time for questions. Those interested
Communications Law
Lifeline 988 Texting: Let Industry Innovate
Since becoming operational in 2022, the short code telephone number 988 has been a literal lifesaver with over 10 million callers reaching out with hope of stopping human suicides. With this success, system expansions have been proposed to make it more effective and save even more individuals. The latest proposition – georouting 988 texts to…
FCC Requires MVPDs to Submit Reports of Broadcast Station Blackouts
By Mark Malonzo
Tags: Broadcast, TV, MVPD, Cable, Satellite, FCC, Retransmission Consent, Medi
The FCC adopted rules on January 3 that require Multichannel Video Programming Distributors, including cable or satellite providers (“MVPDs” or “Reporting Entities”) to report certain broadcast station blackouts. The rules will be effective 30 days after publication in the Federal Register, but MVPDs will not be…
A New Era at the FCC: What’s Ahead
Media have become more important and invasive in our lives than ever. Whether online, TV, video, wireless, or wearable devices, Americans can’t seem to survive more than a few minutes without them.
It thus stands to reason that a newly established Federal Communications Commission led by incoming Chairman Brendan Carr will expand the agency’s reach…
FCC Opens Limited Filing Window for New Noncommercial TV Stations
The Federal Communications Commission (“FCC” or “Commission”) has issued a public notice, DA 24-1065, which announces the opening of a filing window for applications for construction permit for new noncommercial educational (“NCE”) TV stations in 12 specified communities in various areas of the United States. This window opens at 12:01 a.m. EST on December 4,…
Focusing on ‘Net Vitality’ Can Help End ‘Net Neutrality’ War
The latest battle over “net neutrality” has returned to the federal courts and to the sharply divided perspectives regarding the extent to which the Federal Communications Commission should assert regulatory authority over how internet service providers offer broadband network service.
In August, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit issued a stay that…
Tech’s Role in Driving Innovation: Why Over-Regulation Stifles Progress
Recently, The Media Institute shared a commentary by Adonis Hoffman suggesting tech should be highly regulated, blaming it for many problems faced by traditional media. On behalf of the Consumer Technology Association’s (CTA)® 1,300 tech company members, many of which are leading competitors around the world and collectively are driving economic and stock market growth,…
Comment Deadline Set for Proposed Disclosure Requirements for AI Content in Political Ads
As has been widely publicized, the FCC has proposed that broadcasters be required to air an announcement for all political ads, including both candidate and issue ads that contain content generated by artificial intelligence (AI). The deadlines for comments on this proposal have now been set. Initial comments will be due by September 4, 2024,…
ETRS Form One Due Oct. 4 for All EAS Participants
By Mark Malonzo
The FCC announced today that all EAS Participants must submit their annual Form One filings no later than October 4, 2024. EAS Participants are parties subject to the Emergency Alert System (EAS) rules. Virtually all broadcast stations, wired and wireless cable television systems, Satellite Digital Audio Radio Service, digital audio broadcasting systems, and wireline video…
Big Tech and Principled Policy
As the election draws closer and the stakes become clearer, we should not forget the outsized influence of Big Tech in our country.
Not long ago, Facebook and Twitter emerged as key figures in U.S. elections when foreign propaganda, fake news, and objectionable content became a part of the process. Since then, Facebook, Instagram,…