The NAB Pulse April 26, 2010

NAB.org | News Room

FCC Seeks Comments on EAS Rules Changes
The Federal Communication Commission (FCC) has released a Public Notice seeking public comment on potential changes to its Part 11 rules that could smooth the introduction of the next generation Emergency Alert System (EAS), including the transition to the Common Alerting Protocol (CAP) for emergency warnings. In particular, the FCC's current rules require that all EAS participants, including broadcasters, must be able to accept CAP-based EAS alerts within 180 days after publication by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) of the technical standards for CAP-based alerts. FEMA intends to take this step in September 2010, thereby triggering broadcasters' 180-day deadline for installing CAP-compliant EAS equipment. Click here for a copy of the Public Notice. Comments are due by May 17, 2010, and reply comments are due by June 14, 2010.

Come Together, Thrive Together at the Radio Show
The Radio Advertising Bureau and National Association of Broadcasters have joined forces to bring an unprecedented event to the radio industry. The Radio Show will be held September 29 - October 1 in Washington, D.C.
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Just Released for 2010: The Television Industry Market-by-Market Review
This one-of-a-kind analysis provides up-to-date information that will help you spot industry trends, compare market performance and social demographics, identify investment opportunities and apply valuable revenue projections on a DMA basis for all 210 markets.
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In Brief

FCC Commences 2010 EEO Audits
Last week, the FCC mailed the first of its Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) audit letters for 2010 to randomly selected radio and television stations. Under the FCC's rules, the FCC must annually audit the EEO programs of randomly selected broadcast licensees and multi-channel video programming distributors (MVPDs). Each year, approximately five percent of all radio and television stations and MVPDs are selected for these EEO audits.
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FCC Releases Updated Ownership Form 323, Sets New Filing Deadline of July 8
The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has released an updated version of the revised Form 323, the Ownership Report form that commercial broadcasters must file every other year. The new filing deadline for the updated form is July 8, 2010. The FCC first delayed, then suspended, the deadline for Form 323 filings last December due to technical problems with the form and the online submission process. Despite the delay, however, the FCC is requiring filers to include ownership information as it existed on November 1, 2009. Any changes made after that date should not be included in the form.
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NABEF Fellowships for NAB Executive Development Seminar - Application Deadline is April 30
The National Association of Broadcasters Education Foundation (NABEF) will award eight fellowships to people of color and women in broadcasting to attend the NAB Executive Development Seminar held July 26-29 at NAB headquarters in Washington, D.C. The seminar is designed to increase managerial effectiveness and provide the additional skills needed for career advancement.
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NAB Political Broadcast Catechism and PB Forms-16 Available for NAB Members
If you are an NAB member, click here to download your complimentary copy of NAB Political Broadcast Catechism, 16th Edition and/or Political Broadcast Forms (PB Forms-16). The Political Broadcast Catechism answers many of your questions and will help you find solutions to the most common political broadcasting questions during the election season. The NAB Legal team, in collaboration with some of Washington, D.C.'s top communications counsel, and in consultation with FCC staff, created the Political Broadcast Forms to assist broadcast stations with their political candidate advertising campaigns.

The 2010 NAB Legal Calendar is available here.