I hate them, you hate them, we all hate robocalls with a passion (commonly used four-letter descriptions omitted here). But the Federal Communication Commission (“FCC”) had good reason last week to issue a Declaratory Ruling that under the Telephone Consumer Protection Act (“TCPA”), the coronavirus pandemic constitutes an “emergency” which invokes a statutory exception permitting certain kinds of robocalls to be made and texts to be sent without the consent of the recipient.…

As we have seen over the past two weeks, COVID-19 has taken up the Federal Communications Commission’s (“FCC”) time and attention, with other duties and proceedings getting pushed back. That list of impacted proceedings will now include FM Auction 106, which has been postponed indefinitely via a Public Notice released today.…

Broadcast Deadlines:  April 1, 2020 Radio and Television License Renewal Pre-Filing Announcements – Radio stations licensed in Michigan and Ohio, as well as TV stations licensed in Maryland, District of Columbia, Virginia, West Virginia, must begin broadcasts of their pre-filing announcements concerning their applications for a license renewal. These announcements must be continued on April 16, May 1, and May 16.…

We remind all full power and Class A television stations that the first annual Children’s Television Report, replacing previous quarterly reports, must be filed by March 30, 2020.  The due date is March 30, not April 10, which is when a quarterly report would have been due under the old schedule.  This first report must cover children’s programming broadcast from September 16, 2019, when the rule change became effective, through December 31, 2019.…

The Federal Communications Commission (“FCC”) has issued a Public Notice assuring radio and TV stations that they may share news content and news-gathering resources on an emergency or ad hoc basis during the coronavirus crisis without reducing their arrangements to writing or putting them in their online public inspection file (“OPIF”) as “shared service” agreements (“SSAs”), as long as the sharing is temporary and not part of implementing a long-term formal agreement.…

In response to the Coronavirus Pandemic, the Federal Communications Commission (“FCC”) has secured pledges from a growing list of major and minor broadband players to loosen billing rules and provide free access to existing public Wi-Fi hotspots. Some carriers are also waiving data caps. With increased reliance on telework as offices send workers home, online student education as universities and K12 schools send students home, and telehealth services to treat patients at home wherever feasible,…

Earlier this week, the Cyber and Infrastructure Security Agency, an agency within the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), issued multiple letters that will provide the bearer access to: restricted areas and times (such as during curfews) if necessary to access communications equipment to ensure continued service; and priority access to fuel for generators and debris removal/repair vehicles, should they become necessary to operate communications equipment.…