FTC Ad Guides Revisions Effective Dec. 1
The Federal Trade Commission’s (FTC) revisions of its Guides on Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising go into effect December 1. The focus of the revised guidance from the FTC is new media, online bloggers, celebrity endorsers and nontraditional contexts. The Guides remain generally applicable to radio and television advertising, but broadcasting is not targeted by these revisions. The responsibility for compliance with any changes in the guides such as "typical" consumer experiences depicted in ads remains with the advertisers. Broadcasters, as always, should be alert to advertising claims that appear "too good to be true." One area that broadcasters should pay attention to is where DJs present ads themselves and talk up products. Typically it is obvious that such an ad is sponsored; if it not obvious, that fact should be disclosed. See NAB's summary of the revised guidelines here.

FCC Sets Aside $5,000 EAS Fine
The Federal Communications System (FCC) has set aside a forfeiture of $5,000 issued to Calvary Chapel of Costa Mesa, Inc., licensee of KWVE-FM in San Clemente, Calif., for transmitting an unauthorized Required Monthly Test (RMT) of the Emergency Alert System (EAS) that did not comply with the FCC's procedures. Calvary objected to the penalty as an isolated situation that involved a voluntary service.
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2010 Election Chart Now Available
The 2010 political election chart listing congressional primary dates with lowest unit charge windows has been released. Click here to view the chart.

November 30, 2009 Deadline for Congressional PSAs
With one week remaining until the end of the NAB Congressional Families Public Service Campaign, NAB encourages television and radio stations to air public service announcements (PSAs) featuring your elected officials frequently before the November 30, 2009, deadline. Since the PSAs feature sitting members of Congress and their families, all of the Congressional Families PSAs must be pulled from your station's rotation by November 30, 2009, to ensure compliance with federal law.
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NAB Seeking Entries for 2010 International Broadcasting Excellence Awards
Entries are now being accepted for the 2010 NAB International Broadcasting Excellence Awards. The awards will be presented during the NAB Show in Las Vegas, 10-15 April 2010. Established in 1995, the International Broadcasting Excellence Awards recognize international broadcasters who have demonstrated exceptional leadership in advancing the broadcast industry and the services they provide to their communities and audiences.
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The 2009 NAB Legal Calendar is available here.

WRAL-FM Raleigh, N.C. - WRAL is a station with kids in mind. In 2008, WRAL organized a food drive that raised more than 7,000 pounds of food and $6,000 for the BackPack Food Buddies program. This program provides meals for the weekends for students receiving free or reduced rate lunches at school. WRAL held a radiothon, raising more than $1 million for the Duke Children's Hospital, and 500 kids and their parents were provided with free "Kode-A-Kid" ID cards to assist in case the child was missing. Click here to learn more.