As we reported a few weeks ago, New York State has adopted a new law requiring employers to include salary ranges in all advertisements for employment. Under the rules, employers with 4 or more employees are required to provide a range of pay for all advertised jobs, promotions, or transfer opportunities that will be physically performed, at least in part, in New York State. This also applies to opportunities performed outside the state that report to a supervisor or office in New York State. Remote or telecommuting opportunities also fall under the new legislation. The law applies to all advertisements including but not limited to a newspaper ad, a printed flyer that is either distributed or displayed, a social media post, an e-mail sent to a pool of more than one applicant, an e-mail sent through an electronic mailing list, or an advertisement published through any other medium. This includes listings through a third party on the employer’s behalf, for example, postings through a job recruiter or job-listing website. Any job postings on the New York State Broadcaster’s Associations job webpage must also include a salary range. The pay range posted must be the minimum and maximum annual salary or hourly rate the employer believes, in good faith, they are willing to pay the successful applicant or employee at the time of the advertisement’s posting. Employers are permitted to update this range of pay based on information they collect during the hiring process. For instance, they may increase the range of pay if they find they are not attracting applicants. If compensation is completely commission-based, employers must state that clearly when advertising the opportunity. ALL SUBMISSIONS TO THE NYSBA JOB LISTING WEBPAGE MUST INCLUDE SALARY RANGE INFORMATION CONSISTENT WITH THE NEW SALARY TRANSPARENCY LAW IN NEW YORK. WE WILL BE ASKING STATIONS TO RESUBMIT THEIR LISTING WITH SALARY TRANSPARENCY INFORMATION. You can see the NY Department of Labor FAQ page here. You can see a fact sheet for employees here. You can see a fact sheet for employers here.

By this public notice, the Wireless Telecommunications Bureau (WTB), in coordination with the Media Bureau (MB), (1) provides detailed instructions for 12.7 GHz band BAS and CARS licensees to file certifications regarding existing information in the Universal Licensing System (ULS) and the Cable Operations & Licensing System (COALS), respectively; and (2) establishes a window for the filing of these certifications. Generally, 12.7 GHz band BAS and CARS licensees may file their required certifications beginning on or after the release date of this public notice. The deadline for filing required certifications is no later than November 29, 2023. If a licensee is unable to make the certification for a license because, e.g., required technical data are inaccurate, missing, or incomplete, the license has terminated automatically, or the facilities are not operating as authorized, the licensee must cancel the license or file a modification application to correct the data reflected in the license no later than November 29, 2023 (see section 4, below). If such a modification application is granted, the modified license will be considered timely certified. For more details, see the FCC’s Public Notice here.

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit issued an order directing the FCC to complete its 2018 Quadrennial Regulatory Review of its broadcast ownership rules by December 27, 2023, or show cause why the National Association of Broadcasters’s (NAB) Petition for Writ of Mandamus should not be granted. The NAB’s petition, filed in April 2023, requests that the D.C. Circuit compel the FCC to conclude the agency’s still-pending 2018 review. The FCC’s failure to complete the Quadrennial Review in December has prevented any review of the radio ownership rules, the dual network rule (prohibiting one company from controlling two of the top 4 broadcast TV networks), and the adoption of specific standards for approving waivers to allow the combination of two of the Top 4 TV stations in a market. These are all issues that were teed up in the 2018 Quadrennial Review. We hope the FCC will follow the court’s order and begin to address these rules. A review of the rules is long overdue.

The U.S. government is now funded for an additional 45 days. This means there will be no delay in filings that are due at the FCC in October. This includes uploading quarterly issues programs lists in the public file and retransmission consent elections. Commissioner Anna Gomez is now at the Commission. In addition, last week Commissioners Carr and Starks were unanimously confirmed by the U.S. Senate. After nearly three years, the FCC has a full slate of Commissioners. This means that the government agency will move forward with new policy initiatives. You can find a complete list of the FCC filings due in October on the Broadcast Blog by noted communications attorney David Oxenford here.

The New York State Broadcasters Association hit the road last week for our annual regional luncheons and sales training sessions. We recognized excellence in broadcasting in multiple markets across the state. Member stations were honored for their news coverage on TV, radio, and social media. A new addition to this year's ceremony was a vibrant slideshow that included minute-long media clips of what each station won their award for. An array of topics were highlighted such as extreme weather events, sports reporting, and cooking shows. It was a rich showcase of the importance of local news. Starting in Buffalo, NYSBA covered five cities in six days. The remainder of the awards circuit consisted of Rochester, Binghamton, Syracuse, and Albany. We saw exceptional attendance during the week with roughly four hundred total people across the state. Serving New York awards were also given to stations that worked on public service campaigns within the last year. Each station and service group was given our famous Crystal Serving NY Bowl for positive contributions to their local communities. Some of the groups recognized included the New York Army National Guard, the American Red Cross, the Ronald McDonald House, and many others. Other notable campaigns included the construction of beds for kids, communicating the importance of voting, and raising funds for cancer research. For regional sales training, we were joined by Speed Marriott, Co-founder of P1 Learning. He gave an in-person sales training seminar in each city about how to approach marketing to different generations. Speed’s enlightening presentation had approximately one hundred forty people around New York State attend. The attendees were engaged, asked questions, and participated in a high-energy group activity. Thank you to everyone who attended last week and helped make the events a massive success. NYSBA is on the road again this week for luncheons in Long Island and New York City. You can see the winners of the Excellence in Broadcasting Awards on our website here. Pictures from each Award Luncheon and Training session can be seen here. We will be posting the winners of the Serving New York Awards on our website shortly.

Starting a new month with an empty sales ledger is a tough spot for anyone in broadcast sales. It feels like a constant uphill battle. One that's equatable to Sisyphus pushing that boulder up the mountain, only to see it roll back down again. Regardless of their size, what separates the top-billers in every market? The answer lies in having a monthly roster of 32 active accounts on the air. Here's their secret: LONG-TERM CONTRACTS. Yes, it's the annual contracts that hold the key to success. Just picture starting a fresh month at 75-85% of your sales goal! Now is the ideal moment to approach local decision-makers with a pitch for long-term commitments if you want to secure a spot in their 2024 budgets. In this enlightening session, Paul Weyland will walk you through laying the groundwork for a long-term proposal on your station. You will gain insights into how to secure appointments with decision-makers and most importantly, how to deliver a presentation that will leave your client interested in the prospect of long-term business. The webinar will feature Paul Weyland, who works with local radio and television stations across the country. He is constantly dealing with local direct clients. You will come away from the session fresh with great ideas that you can go out and pitch immediately. Because this is a Paul Weyland session, you can expect to be thoroughly entertained as you learn and professionally grow. During the Q&A portion of the session, Paul will also guide any product or service category you are currently working on, including those clients you are still trying to win over for holiday schedules. This service is provided to NYSBA members in good standing free of charge. Click here to register.

The Senate approved Anna Gomez to be a new FCC Commissioner, filling the open Democratic seat. The seat has been vacant since the beginning of the Biden Administration as the White House pushed forward with the nomination of Gigi Sohn. As previously noted, Commissioner Gomez is incredibly qualified to serve as a commissioner. She's served at the State Department addressing communications issues and in the U.S. Department of Commerce’s National Telecommunications and Information Administration. Gomez is an FCC veteran and has also worked in private practice. As we've previously reported, the confirmation of Commissioner Gomez will break the current FCC deadlock. It gives Chairman Rosenworcel a 3-2 democratic majority. We can now expect to see new democratic policies enacted. Most notably, there will likely be a move to reinstate the net neutrality regulations. However, it's unlikely that there will be a relaxation of the FCC ownership rules. We might see proposals that aim to tighten up the ownership regulations. There might also be new regulations governing political advertising. It's worth noting that the White House nominated Commissioner Starks (Democrat) and Commissioner Carr (Republican) at the same time. These nominations haven't been confirmed. We anticipate that they will be acted on later in the year with other government nominations. One factor worth considering is that Commissioner Stark's term expires at the end of the year. If he's not confirmed, the FCC will return to a 2-to-2 deadlock. You can see an informative article in Radio Ink here.

As we reported in 2022, New York has enacted a Pay Transparency Law (New York Labor Law § 194-b). This new law, which was revised in March 2023, requires all job postings in New York to include a salary (hourly or annual rate) or salary range (minimum and maximum). The purpose of this law is to provide job seekers with this crucial information upfront. The goal is to end systematic pay inequality and discriminatory wage-setting practices. The law applies to all employers with four or more employees in New York at the time of posting. It also applies to advertisements for a job, promotion, or transfer. The advertisements must disclose the compensation or range of composition for a position. Failure to comply may result in fines of up to $1000 (first offense) to $3000 (third offense). While initially based on the New York City Pay Transparency Law, there are some notable differences. Moreover, the amendments made some important changes. Remote workers: Initially, the law applies to advertisements for work conducted - at least in whole or in part - within New York State. However, the March 2023 amendments attempted to clarify the impact on remote workers. The amendments seem to indicate that the law would apply to job advertisements where the work was physically performed out of state, as long as the job reports to a supervisor or office within New York State. Commission-Only Jobs: Pursuant to the changes made in March, a job advertisement doesn't need to disclose compensation ranges where compensation is based entirely on commissions. Nevertheless, the job advertisement must include compensation ranges if part of the compensation is based on salary (set wages) and not just commissions. Record Keeping: Initially, the law required employers to keep records for six years. This requirement was then revised in the amendments. Employers will no longer explicitly be required to keep records of compensation range and job description history for each covered advertisement. It should be noted that while you may not need to keep records regarding an advertisement, New York labor law requires the retention of records for compensation paid to employees. Definition of Advertisements – Under the law, advertising is defined as “to make available to a pool of potential applicants for internal or public viewing, including electronically, a written description of an employment opportunity.” The definition is consistent with the New York City salary transparency law. As we go to press, the New York Department of Labor has not yet issued regulations. Regardless, broadcast employers should be getting ready to include pay transparency information in job advertisements issued after September 17th. Stations should consult their attorneys regarding the steps needed to comply with the new law. We will follow up with additional information once the NY Department of Labor issues new regulations. Please note that information contained in the job listings section of the NYSBA website should include information that complies with the New York Pay Transparency Laws. We will implement this requirement consistent with the regulations to be adopted by the New York Department of Labor. The New York Department of Labor’s website can be accessed here.

FEMA (Federal Emergency Management Agency) and the FCC have scheduled a special National EAS Test on October 4th, 2023. The test will be fed via IPAWS (Integrated Public Alert and Warning System) at 2:20 PM Eastern. Stations should determine that their EAS system is operating correctly to ensure proper reception and retransmission of the National Test. Engineers Larry Wilkins and John George will conduct a webinar to go over the EAS Test Reporting System (ETRS) form one (changes due September 15th) and how to ensure EAS equipment is configured correctly to receive the National Periodic Test (NPT). Representatives from Digital Alert System, Sage Alerting Systems, and Gorman-Relich will be in the meeting to answer any questions about setting up their systems correctly. Here is the Zoom link: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZYldeqsrTItH9KdiT24A4PVBt4qQxVt1Dzz#/registration Click here to register.

An article in Radio Online reported the findings of a recent Nielsen study regarding Podcasting. The article summarized the Nielsen report: “Nielsen has released its latest Podcasting Today report, which analyzes how the U.S. podcast landscape is growing and changing, and how listening habits are shifting. The number of Americans listening to podcasts has increased by 45% in the past five years and has more than doubled in the last decade. 183 million have ever listened to a podcast, while 53% of those aged 12-54 are monthly podcast listeners.” You can see a complete summary of the Nielsen report in Radio Online here.

Last week, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) sent a letter to the federal Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) recommending that the DEA begin a process to reclassify cannabis from a Schedule I controlled substance to a Schedule III controlled substance. Schedule III drugs aren't deemed particularly harmful and are often available without a prescription. We haven't seen the letter, but it's been widely reported in the press. This is in response to the Biden administration's request to examine the classification of cannabis. For broadcasters, the importance of this proposal is that the distribution of Schedule III drugs isn't illegal under the Controlled Substances Act. This means that federal law would no longer potentially penalize stations for broadcasting advertisements for legal, medical, or recreational cannabis. Of course, there's always the possibility of liability for advertising a Schedule III drug. However, this type of enforcement would be similar to typical false and deceptive advertising limitations placed by the FTC or the FDA. We don't currently know how the DEA will react to the proposal to reclassify cannabis. It's unclear whether the DEA or other federal agencies would enact cannabis advertising rules in conjunction with reclassifying cannabis from a Schedule I to a Schedule III drug. Any new rules could affect our ability to advertise. Reclassification to a Schedule III drug addresses the potential impact of federal criminal law on your license. There's a separate level of concern in regard to the FCC’s public interest analysis. Even if cannabis is reclassified, will the FCC prevent cannabis advertising under the “public interest” standard? To date, no specific FCC rules are preventing or governing cannabis advertising. (The risk of losing your license because of existing federal criminal law and the FCC’s subsequent reaction to a criminal conviction acts as a sufficient deterrent.) If cannabis is reclassified as a Schedule III drug, we believe the FCC would have to first establish a specific policy that prohibits such advertising. Unless such a policy is adopted, the FCC would be hard-pressed to issue a fine or revoke a license. Unless there's some unforeseen future political pressure, we doubt the FCC would get into the business of creating advertising policies for specific legal products since it hasn't done so in the past. Any future rules are likely to come from the DEA, FTC, or FDA. Remember, federal laws aren't the only consideration. Under rules adopted by the NY Office of Cannabis Management, a cannabis business can only advertise during programs where 90% of the audience is over twenty-one years old. There's also an extensive labeling requirement. These rules are directed at the cannabis advertiser instead of the station. We're working to revise these regulations because they significantly restrict the market. To summarize, running a cannabis advertisement today still might violate federal law. Before cannabis can be reclassified from a Schedule I to a Schedule III drug, the DEA must complete a rulemaking. This could take a year or so to complete. A positive is that we don't have to pass legislation to effectuate this change. So, HHS’s recommendation is a positive step forward. For a discussion about the politics of the issue, see the article reported in Politico here. For more information about the potential impact on broadcasters, see the article in Inside Radio here.

Broadcasting and podcasting have evolved into integral components of the local and worldwide modern media landscape. If you sell, compete against, or want to be better acquainted with the complementary digital product, you will want to join us. Podcasting is a unique skill that combines a compelling blend of information, entertainment, and storytelling. Hear the strengths and weaknesses of how podcasts can expand your audience and your client’s advertising budgets. Can you thrive in the modern era of on-demand consumption? It's more challenging than ever with listeners tuning in at their convenience. Podcasting allows the public to explore subjects that resonate with their passions, which can foster a sense of community among like-minded listeners. Broadcasters and podcasters will undoubtedly continue to shape the narrative of our ever-changing media landscape. Andy Waits owns Podcast Axis, a service provider that assists broadcasters with their podcast development. This includes revenue development, bespoke coaching sessions, cutting-edge production services, and strategic networking opportunities. Waits has been a Sound Designer/Narrator for Spotify, Director of Production and Creative Services for Salem Communications (Portland), Air Personality for Westwood One Radio Networks, worked in the KABC-TV newsroom, and has filled additional roles at several other TV and Radio stations in small, medium, and large markets. This webinar is offered free of charge to NYSBA members in good standing. Click here to register in advance!

In early August, Radio Ink posted an article warning stations about a possible overpayment marketing scam. Stations were informed that they were overpaid via a check deposited into their account and that payment should be issued back to cover the overpayment. In the article Be Aware: Overpayment Scam Targeting Small-Market Stations, Radio Ink noted: “The radio station indeed found an additional $40,800 deposited in their account, but upon scrutiny, KHTS discovered irregularities in the payment process, which raised suspicions. The funds were not wired as initially claimed but came as a check from a US Bank in Washington State. KHTS suspected that whoever was behind the deposit intended to stop payment on the check after receiving the overpaid amount, thereby executing a classic check overpayment scam.” You can see the article in Radio Ink here.

Since 1971, RTDNA has honored outstanding broadcast and digital journalism achievements with the Edward R. Murrow Awards. Among the most prestigious in news, Murrow Awards recognize local and national news stories that uphold the RTDNA Code of Ethics, demonstrate technical expertise, and exemplify the importance and impact of journalism as a service to the community. Murrow Award-winning work demonstrates the excellence that Edward R. Murrow made a standard for the broadcast news profession. A number of local stations from New York, including television and radio networks in New York have been honored. Here is the list of the 2023 broadcast honorees. Broadcast Network TV Breaking News Coverage The CBS Evening News with Norah O’Donnell: Supreme Court Overturns Roe v. Wade CBS News New York, NY Continuing Coverage 60 Minutes: City of Lions, Harvest of War, Olena Zelenska, and Convoy of Life CBS News New York, NY Digital ABC News Digital ABC News New York, NY Excellence in Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Pride: To Be Seen ABC News New York, NY Excellence in Innovation CBS Sunday Morning - Oceans Give, Oceans Take CBS News (in partnership with This American Life) New York, NY Excellence in Video Dear Noah: Pages from a Family Diary NBC News New York, NY Excellence in Writing The CBS Evening News with Norah O'Donnell: Steve Hartman, On the Road CBS News New York, NY News Documentary Plot to Overturn the Election FRONTLINE (in partnership with ProPublica) Boston, MA News Series 60 Minutes: City of Lions, Harvest of War, Olena Zelenska, and Convoy of Life CBS News New York, NY Newscast World News Tonight with David Muir: Live from the Ukrainian Border ABC News New York, NY Podcast Reclaimed: The Story of Mamie-Till Mobley ABC News New York, NY Overall Excellence ABC News ABC News New York, NY Broadcast Radio Networks Breaking News Coverage Crisis in Ukraine ABC News New York, NY Excellence in Sound Start Here: 9/11 ABC News New York, NY Feature Reporting Radio Ukraine New York Public Radio (in partnership with The New Yorker) New York, NY Newscast CBS World News Roundup CBS News Radio New York, NY Sports Reporting Sewer Salmon ABC News New York, NY Overall Excellence ABC News ABC News New York, NY Local NY Radio and TV Excellence in Video Niagara Daredevils at Oakwood WIVB-TV Buffalo, NY Excellence in Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Indian Boarding Schools Tried to Eradicate Their Language. Now, the Seneca are Bringing it Back. WXXI Public Media Rochester, NY Excellence in Innovation Testify The Marshall Project (in partnership with WOVU and Cleveland Documenters) New York, NY Video Newscast Hofstra Votes Live 2022 The Lawrence Herbert School of Communication, Hofstra University New York, NY

Over the years, we have received several inquiries regarding the ability of foreign entities to invest in broadcast stations in the U.S. For the most part, we receive questions regarding Canadian investment in U.S. Broadcast stations. The FCC opened opportunities for foreign investment in 2016. While the Commission generally limits foreign investment to 25% under the Communications Act, it will allow a greater ownership interest where there is no threat to national security. Recently, the Commission issued a decision affirming this policy: “[T]he Amended & Restated Petition seeks authority for up to an aggregate 100% indirect foreign ownership of HMTV.6 In addition, the Petitioner requests specific approval for certain foreign individuals and entities that will hold, indirectly, more than five percent of the equity and/or voting interests of HMTV, and advance approval8 for these individuals and entities to increase their interests in HMTV to certain percentages at some future time. No comments or oppositions were filed on the Amended & Restated Petition, and no parties asked for conditions to be placed on the requested ruling. As discussed below, and consistent with the input we received from the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) on behalf of the Committee for the Assessment of Foreign Participation in the United States Telecommunications Services Sector (Committee), we find that it will serve the public interest to grant the Amended & Restated Petition, subject to the routine conditions specified below.” Accordingly, given the right set of facts the FCC may approve foreign ownership of more than 25%. This can be significant in upstate New York where there is always an opportunity for Canadian investment in local stations. We urge you to consult your FCC attorney before moving forward with obtaining foreign investors. You can see the FCC’s recent decision here. You can obtain more information from noted FCC attorney David Oxenford here.

As we have stated in the past, the FCC is imposing significant fines on stations for late-filed quarterly issues programs reports. This fact was observed by noted FCC attorney David Oxenford in his broadcast blog: “In the last two license renewal cycles, more fines have been issued for full-power stations violating the requirement that they quarterly add to their public inspection files a list of the most important issues facing their communities and the programming that they aired in that quarter to address these issues. This week, the Media Bureau proposed another such fine, proposing to fine a Florida full power television station $9,000 for allegedly failing to timely upload 10 quarterly issues/programs lists to its online public inspection file during the last renewal cycle. The station offered no explanation for that failure. See our Broadcast Law Blog article here for more on the importance of the Quarterly Issues/Programs list obligation.” With the online public filing system, the FCC can now observe when you file these reports. So do not be late. You can see the Media Bureau’s most recent fine here. You can find a more thorough discussion of this issue by David Oxenford here.

Yesterday, the FCC released a Public Notice regarding the process for paying regulatory fees. Regulatory fee payments must be received by the Commission no later than 11:59 PM, Eastern Daylight Time, on September 20, 2023. The Commission has discontinued the use of the Fee Filer system and incorporated this payment system into the Commission Registration System (CORES). To use CORES, you need to be registered with the FCC. Once your FCC username is registered and verified, you can access CORES and select the option to associate your existing FRN with that username, if you have not already done so. To make an FY 2023 regulatory fee payment, log in to this website using your username and password. As we noted previously, lobbying by NYSBA and other state associations resulted in a decrease in regulatory fees for many radio stations. You can find more information about the process of paying regulatory fees here. You can find a fact sheet for paying regulatory fees for media services here.

A recent “Share of the Ear” analysis by Edison Research found that broadcast radio remains the top audio service in the country. An article in Inside Audio Marketing reported the findings: “AM/FM radio is the top audio source in the U.S., with double the time spent listening of any other audio platform, according to the most recent quarterly Share of Ear update from Edison Research. Broadcast radio, including over the air and online listening, captured 36% of all audio usage in all locations, among all Americans aged 13 and older. That is down one percentage point from the previous quarter. Streaming music, including Spotify, Pandora, Apple Music, Amazon Music, and similar services, came in second place at 18%. YouTube for Music/Music Videos was third at 14%, followed by podcasts, which gained one point to another new all-time high of 10% of all listening. Next was SiriusXM (8%) and owned music (listening to CDs, vinyl, owned digital files, etc.), which dropped two points to 7%. Audiobooks gained one percentage point to garner 3% of listening, tied with TV music channels.” You can see a more detailed report regarding Edison’s “Share of the Ear” report in Inside Audio Marketing here.

NYSBA in combination with the other state broadcasters’ associations recently filed Joint Reply Comments to push for lower regulatory fees. One key component to lower fees is to determine which FCC employees work on our issues. We supported the FCC’s efforts to more precisely delineate which agency employees work on non-broadcast matters and to ensure that the cost of those employees, as well as associated overhead costs of the FCC, are covered by the regulatory fees paid by the non-broadcast entities benefiting from those employees’ work rather than by broadcasters. We urged the FCC to conduct such reviews annually prior to issuing proposed regulatory fees and to ensure that, as required by the RAY BAUM’S Act of 2018, the costs of operating the FCC are spread across all entities that benefit from the Commission’s activities, licensees like broadcasters. NYSBA supported the FCC’s proposal to create a lower-cost regulatory fee tier for smaller radio stations and to make permanent the elimination of various administrative obstacles to those seeking relief from regulatory fee obligations. Stations should be able to file multiple requests for relief in a single pleading. In addition, the filing process to request an installment payment plan should be simplified along with allowing electronic submission of those requests for relief via email. Many of these policies were adopted during the COVID pandemic and should continue. Finally, the FCC should make permanent other temporary relief measures adopted during the pandemic, such as waiving its downpayment requirement for installment plans, partially waiving its bar on delinquent payors seeking fee relief, using its discretion to reduce the interest rate charged on installment plans, and allowing payors to supplement their requests with additional documentation to support their submissions after they are initially filed. You can access our FCC filing here.

Every year, NYSBA celebrates local broadcasters’ commitment to serving their communities. We also honor the public service groups that work with local stations to improve the quality of life in communities throughout the Empire State. We recognize commercial, non-commercial, and college stations for their efforts. Honorees receive the famous NYSBA Crystal Bowl. To receive an award, stations should: Submit a brief paragraph describing the campaign The campaign may be on the air (PSA) or an off-air project It may be a digital or traditional broadcast Events or broadcast mays have occurred between September 1, 2022, and September 4, 2023 Provide the name of the public service group with which you worked Provide a station logo and any photos Provide the names of individuals attending the luncheon Stations are encouraged to invite a public interest group with whom they worked during the past year. Attending representatives of your invited public interest groups will also be presented with an award. We will present the “Serving New York” award at our regional awards luncheons this fall in Buffalo, Rochester, Binghamton, Syracuse, Albany, Long Island, and New York City. Note these awards are different from the Excellence in Broadcasting Awards. However, we present both awards at the same luncheon. THE DEADLINE FOR SUBMISSION IS SEPTEMBER 4, 2023. Stations must be present at the luncheon to receive a Serving New York award! You may submit your entry online here.