Berg’s career as a communications attorney stretched back 38 years to when he went to work at the FCC. The career included stints at the NAB and large law firms. For the past seven years, he also wrote the Legal Memo column for TVNewsCheck.
The Long Reach of TV Spectrum Repacking
When the FCC gets around to repacking the TV spectrum, the results could differ from what broadcasters expect going in. It’s important for them to be aware of ongoing developments and not to assume they won’t be affected. Here’s an overview of some possible scenarios.
FCC Political Ad Rules Call For Balancing Act
This political season, the biggest legal and practical issue for many stations so far has been the need to accommodate competing demands for air time from everyone from bona fide candidates to Super PACs to regular commercial advertisers. Staying out of hot water at the FCC involves knowing the rules and balancing those demands.
License Renewal Quiz Gets A Bit Tougher
For many years the FCC’s TV license renewal application has required mainly yes-or-no answers about compliance throughout the license term with various FCC requirements. For the upcoming renewal cycle, the FCC has added a new certification question about non-discriminatory television advertising sales agreements.
EEO: Six Key Tips For Staying Out Of Trouble
With the FCC stepping up enforcement of equal employment opportunity regulations, here’s a list of things stations should know to avoid heartache and FCC sanctions for noncompliance.
A History Lesson On Retrans For The FCC
The FCC proceeding seeking comments for possible reform of its retrans rules doesn’t square with history as I remember it. For one thing, contrary to what the FCC suggests, broadcasters have tried to negotiate for fees since the retrans law was passed in the early 1990s. The FCC also betrays some bias toward cable, raising questions about how current rules might work against small cable operators, but ignoring how small TV stations are affected.
Exclusives
‘Specialty’ Stations Have March 29 Deadline
If your station qualifies as a “specialty station,” you should be sure to file with the U.S. Copyright Office so your station can be carried by cable systems at the lowest possible rate, a good incentive to encourage carriage. Filing an affidavit is a relatively simple step that can benefit stations, cable operators and viewers, who may receive a wider range of program choices as a result of the procedure.
