December 18, 2019 Curtis LeGeyt, NAB Executive Vice President of Government Relations has reported that the eight Judiciary and Commerce leaders (Judiciary: Graham, Nadler, Feinstein, Collins; Commerce: Wicker, Pallone, Cantwell, Walden) have agreed on a STELAR package that is included in the year-end spending legislation that will be considered by the full House and Senate… read more
The Detroit Free Press reports that Internet gaming and sports betting is soon expected to be legal in Michigan after the Legislature sent a package of bills to Gov. Gretchen Whitmer on Wednesday, the last session day of the year. The bills, which are expected to be signed by Whitmer, will allow existing licensed casinos… read more
By: David Oxenford, Wilkinson Barker Knauer LLP The FCC on Friday (11/29) issued a Public Notice seeking comment on a petition for reconsideration by the NAB and several broadcast groups seeking review of the FCC’s October decision, deemed a “clarification” of the public file disclosure rules for federal political issue ads requiring that all candidates and… read more
On Wednesday Gov. Gretchen Whitmer and legislative leaders were able to come to an agreement on a supplemental budget that would restore funding to some of the vetoes that occurred back in October. The deal that passed will fund high priority items such as schools and public health and safety. Pure Michigan and hospitality workforce… read more
By: Karole L. White, MAB President/CEO The First Amendment of the Bill of Rights contains the vital freedom of the press that is being so maligned today. The Bill of Rights were ratified on December 15, 1791 and the group Liberty Lives Forever encourages everyone to celebrate the occasion by reading and discussing the Bill… read more
Press reports indicate that the Michigan House and Senate started to finalize a budget deal Wednesday in which the GOP-led Legislature reversed some of Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s vetoes. In return, the governor has received some of her priorities. This would end a two-month impasse over the state budget for the fiscal year that began… read more
By: David Oxenford, Wilkinson Barker Knauer LLP In October, the FCC issued what it termed a “clarification” of the obligations of broadcasters to disclose in their public inspection files each and every candidate and issue discussed in any Federal issue ad. We wrote about the Clarification here. That decision prompted many questions among broadcasters as to… read more
On November 21, Sen. Marsha Blackburn (TN) and Rep. Jerry Nadler (NY-10) introduced the AM-FM Act, legislation that would impose a performance tax on local radio stations. While the big record labels aggressively lobby for a performance tax on local radio stations simply for airing and promoting artists’ music, we will continue to grow the… read more
On November 21, the House Judiciary Committee approved legislation sponsored by Rep. Jerrold Nadler (NY-10) that would permanently extend the distant signal license for use only by RVs and truckers and in “short” markets (those without a local affiliate of ABC, CBS, FOX or NBC) on the condition that AT&T agrees to deliver local signals… read more
Chairman Nadler (D-NY), Ranking Member Collins (R-GA) and Rep. Zoe Lofgren (D-CA) reached a compromise Wednesday evening on Lofgren’s amendment relating to the required time frame within which AT&T must serve all 210 markets with local-into-local (180 days) in order to use the bill’s narrowed/permanent distant signal license for RVs/trucks and short markets on an… read more
