FCC Has Good Contest Rules, You Should Too
The FCC’s new Licensee-Conducted Contest Rule became effective this past Friday. Under the new rule, a broadcast licensee conducting a contest still has the obligation to disclose the material terms of the contest “fully and accurately.” However, the new rule allows broadcasters to meet these requirements by posting the contest terms on their websites rather than reading them on-air. To take advantage of this new flexibility, broadcasters must do a number of things. Here they are.
New Broadcast Contest Rules Take Effect
It’s official! Last fall’s overhaul of the rules governing licensee-conducted broadcast contests has finally become effective. According to a notice in the Federal Register, our friends at the Office of Management and Budget gave the new rules the big thumbs up last week, and the rules have now taken effect as of today. This means that, among other things, stations are now able to post their contest rules on their websites and avoid the hassle of extended on-air announcements of those rules.
How New FCC Contest Rules Affect Stations
On Sept. 17, the FCC issued an official statement that it would be amending its contest rules requirements that were last updated in the 1970s. Larry Walke, an associate general counsel for the NAB answers questions about how the rule changes would impact broadcasters.
The commission’s action allows broadcasters to choose on-air or on-line notification of contest rules.
