On April 17, 2025, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit vacated a $57 million forfeiture order issued by the FCC against AT&T, ruling that the FCC violated the Constitution by imposing the penalty without first bringing the
Fletcher, Heald & Hildreth, PLC Blogs
Latest from Fletcher, Heald & Hildreth, PLC
FHH Attorneys to Participate in MFM Webinar Series
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
FCC Amends Schedule of Application Fees
On January 7, 2025, the FCC released an Order announcing adjustments to its Schedule of Application Fees, which will become effective 30 days after the Order’s publication in the Federal Register. Congress mandates that the FCC make these adjustments every
FCC Requires MVPDs to Submit Reports of Broadcast Station Blackouts
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
FCC Requires MVPDs to Submit Reports of Broadcast Station Blackouts
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
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
ETRS Form One Due Oct. 4 for All EAS Participants
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
FCC Sets Effective Date for Foreign Sponsorship ID Rule Changes
On July 16th, the FCC announced that two changes to its sponsorship identification requirements for foreign government-provided programming, as detailed in its June 10th Second Report and Order, are set to become effective on August 15, 2024.
Recall that
New Pre-Sunrise and Post-Sunset Power Levels Available for Eligible AM Stations
The FCC is now accepting letter requests from AM stations for pre-sunrise authorization (PSRA) and post-sunset authorization (PSSA). PSRA permits AM stations to operate at increased power during the two hours immediately preceding sunrise. PSSA allows for increased power for
New Commercial FM Programming Non-Duplication Rule Goes Into Effect on August 2, 2024
The FCC recently announced that August 2, 2024, is the effective date of its newly reinstated programming non-duplication rule for commercial FM stations. As we have previously noted here, that rule, which was reinstated in a June 2024 Reconsideration