A recent article in Radio Ink highlights the importance of radio during emergencies. Like most state emergency agencies, Hawaii focused on social media and Internet warnings. However, these proved ineffective during the early stages of the disaster. Rado Ink’s discussion with Chuck Bergson, President and CEO of Pacific Media Group, which runs six stations on Maui, is very instructive. According to Mr. Bergson: “Radio has been the only lifeline and line of communication to the people of West Maui. For days there has been no power, no water, and no Internet service. The power is slowly coming back online. It was frustrating in the early stages of the crisis because the local government officials did not fully understand the capabilities and importance of radio. In the beginning, they were directing people to a website but that was useless because no one had internet. We eventually got the government leaders to give us information updates [to get on the air]. We were asking for them as often as possible, but ended up with a 9 AM a 12 noon and a 3 PM update daily. Our team worked tirelessly and into long hours into and overnight to keep the public informed and calm.” Radio is essential during emergencies. We must continually remind our elected officials of this fact. You can see the full interview in Radio Ink here.

A recent article in Inside Radio noted that Nielsen is planning to discontinue its radio ratings services in several markets. This includes two radio markets in New York. According to the article in Inside Radio: “Nielsen will discontinue its radio ratings service in seven diary markets effective with the start of the spring 2023 survey. The radio metros being canceled are Abilene, TX; Elmira-Corning, NY; Florence-Muscle Shoals, AL; Lake Charles, LA; Olean, NY; Rapid City-Spearfish, SD; and Wichita Falls, TX. Nielsen informed clients of the canceled markets in a product notification Wednesday. Consistent with its policy regarding canceled Metros, subscribers in the affected markets must stop using audience estimates for the markets as of Tuesday, Aug. 1. The reason for that, Nielsen says, is that “canceled Radio Metros may contain outdated (stale) data that are no longer current.” You can see the complete article in Inside Radio here.

The FCC has approved a new regulatory fee schedule for FY 2023. The Commission accepted many of the arguments for lowering fees that were presented by NYSBA, the state Broadcasters Associations, and the NAB. For several years, we have complained that the FCC was charging broadcasters for costs that were unrelated to regulating broadcasting, especially as it applied to the number of employees needed to regulate broadcasting as opposed to other industries. As a result of our efforts, the FCC changes its calculation as to how it assigned employee costs to different bureaus and general overhead. As a result, broadcasters will see a decrease in their regulatory fees of about 5 to 6%, even though the FCC budget increased by $8 million. TV stations will pay approximately 12% less than last year. Radio fees will also decrease. Radio stations with the smallest service areas will see the biggest decreases, the FCC established a new tier for radio broadcast stations serving markets with under 10,000 people. Accordingly, the declines for some stations in small markets will be reduced significantly. Here is the fee schedule for radio stations: TV regulatory fees are done by the precise population served, so they are different for every station, which is why they don’t summarize easily in chart form. TV rates for each station can be found in Appendix G of the FCC’s decision. Regulatory fees must be paid for initial construction permits that were granted on or before October 1, 2022, for AM/FM radio stations and VHF/UHF broadcast television stations. Regulatory fees must be paid for all broadcast facility licenses granted on or before October 1, 2022. The Commission will issue a Public Notice shortly that will outline payment procedures for 2023. The FCC’s decision can be seen here (radio fees start in paragraph 122) and TV fees can be found in Appendix G, page 73. You can see the decision here. You can find more information about the process for paying regulatory fees in prior years here.

With the acceleration of cord-cutting and the associated decline of regional sports networks, local television stations are now looking at a “Back to the Future” moment and taking a close look at providing local sports. A recent commentary by Wayne Friedman in Media Post explains: “With local TV stations' core-advertising still in trouble, major TV stations are going old-school for a remedy: Looking to make deals with big professional sports leagues to air games on regular broadcast/over-the-air TV. This is due to opportunity. Cable channel-centric, regional sports networks are in financial trouble — including Sinclair's Diamond Sports group (now in bankruptcy) and Warner Bros. Discovery's AT&T Sports Group (looking to exit the business) — due to increasing weak financial industry circumstances.” The article is worth reading as it explains how TV can regain its advantage in broadcasting sports. You can see Mr. Friedman’s commentary in Media Post here.

Using endorsements is a key component in many advertisements. Recently, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) updated its guidelines for endorsements that appear in advertising. Importantly, this not only applies to broadcast advertisements but to digital advertising as well. The revised guidelines require enhanced disclosure requirements when a person is paid or receives anything of value to promote a product. It also addresses the distortion of consumer reviews to promote products. The policies specifically address endorsements made by broadcasters' on-air employees. The FTC’s primary concern is to avoid unfair and deceptive advertising. The FTC noted: "The Federal Trade Commission today announced it has finalized an updated version of its Endorsement Guides, which provide agency guidance to businesses and others to ensure that advertising using reviews or endorsements is truthful. The Endorsement Guides advise businesses on what practices may be unfair or deceptive in violation of the FTC Act, and they were last revised in 2009. In May 2022, the FTC announced it was seeking public comments on proposed updates to the Guides to reflect the ways advertisers now reach consumers to promote products and services, including through social media and reviews." So, if your advertisements contain endorsements, this guide is worth a look. There is also an updated FAQ entitled "FTC Endorsement Guide: What People Are Asking.” You can access the FTC’s new endorsement guidelines here.

On June 13, the National Alliance of State Broadcaster Associations (NASBA) hosted an all-day event at the NAB focusing on AM radio. The meetings included discussions by Sen. Ed Markey (D. MA) and Sen. Deb. Fischer (R NE) who are original co-sponsors of the AM Radio in Every Vehicle Act in the Senate (S.166). Apart from a discussion about the legislation, the conference included some very important panels about the importance of AM Radio. The panels were moderated by Fred and Paul Jacobs of Jacobs Media. The panels included: The Future of the Car Dashboard and Radio’s Role Shawn DeBravac, President, Avrio Institute AM Radio: Providing the Backbone for Emergency Alerts Manuel Centeno, Program Manager, FEMA IPAWS National Public Warning System (NPWS) The Solutions Panel Steve Newberry, CEO, Quu Pete Benedetti, Executive Vice President, Quu Juan Galdamez, Senior Director, Broadcast Strategy, Xperi MODERATOR: Paul Jacobs, Vice President and General Manager, Jacobs Media The View from Affected Broadcasters Panel Tom Brand, President, National Association of Farm Broadcasting Noelle Garnier, Director of Public Policy and Communications, National Religious Broadcasters Patty Ruiz, General Manager, Bustos Media James Winston, National Association of Black Owned Broadcasters MODERATOR: Fred Jacobs, President, Jacobs Media NYSBA had conflicting meetings on the Hill with members of the NY delegation. Fortunately, the panels have been archived and you can now access them here.

The New York State Broadcasters Association BEST (Broadcast Essentials for Selling Today) Program gives the veteran and new seller broadcast professional a foundation to build upon for a successful and rewarding traditional and digital broadcast sales career. It is also the path for NYSBA and LBS members to obtain the coveted status of Certified Seller! The BEST Program offers content covering these topics: Broadcast and Digital Branding Your Clients Your LOCAL Auto Dealers Broadcast Selling Excellence The Basics of Selling Broadcast Keys to Selling by Personality Style Tips from a General Sales Manager "The NYSBA BEST Seller Certification program is a high-value certification ensuring that New York broadcast sellers and leaders maintain a high level of knowledge and skill in the broadcast sales profession. Your commitment to completing the program is a strong message that you have mastered key selling skill sets for the benefit of your clients, station, web marketing, and self-development," said David Donovan, President of the New York State Broadcasters Association. Please note: The New York State Broadcasters Association BEST Program is a college-level course for TV, Radio, and Digital broadcast sellers and leaders whose stations are in good standing with the association. As a result, this is a highly-organized and structured program, including periodic quizzes to evaluate your understanding of the topics covered. Completing this course is intended to take 30 days at roughly 25 minutes per day (some days are longer, some shorter), though you are certainly welcome to proceed at your own pace if you prefer to work through the content either faster or slower. To get started, please use this link. Once you sign up, a course listing will appear, and you’ll want to click on “Section 1 – Welcome to The BEST Program!” to begin. Have questions? Need help? Contact LBS Vice President Eric Moore at ericmoore@localbroadcastsales.com.

The Ten Minute Trainer offers a holistic approach to sales and management. The online video training library is proven to be more effective than interactive courseware and just as effective as live training. Available topics include leadership, management, sales, HR compliance, creative, cybersecurity, customer service, health and wellness, and more. And the best part!? They’re short, engaging, and include tests and downloadable student materials. On average, we’re talking about courses that are 10 minutes or less. The Ten Minute trainer also includes access to the highly successful “Rising Above” sales and management conferences. There are top experts in the field, including Derron Steenbergen who conducted highly successful training sessions in upstate New York last year. Take some time to get acquainted with this new service. This service is offered free of charge to the employees of NYSBA members in good standing. You can find more information about the Ten Minute Trainer here. If you are employed by a NYSBA member in good standing, you may register through the NYSBA registration link here. Note: Do not register through the payment portal on the Ten Minute Trainer website. Instead, use the registration link provided above if you wish to access the service. If you have any questions, contact Nora at nkipp@nysbroadcasters.org.

NAB and other industry groups appealed a decision of the Copyright Board regarding the rates to be paid for non-interactive streaming of broadcast stations. Thus, the rates, which have already been set for a while, will remain in place. Noted Communications attorney David Oxenford explained the obligations of stations to pay for non-interactive streaming: “As a reminder, the CRB rates apply to all companies who provide a non-interactive, internet-delivered steam of programming which includes recorded music or other audio content, including broadcasters who simulcast their over-the-air programming on the internet. Congress established the process of setting rates through hearings by the CRB so that noninteractive webcasters would have access to all recorded and publicly released audio recordings without having to individually negotiate with each copyright holder. Services pay these “statutory royalties” to SoundExchange, observe certain requirements that limit how often particular recordings are played so as to not make the services a substitute for buying recordings or listening to them through on-demand services (which pay higher royalties negotiated directly with the copyright holder), and report to SoundExchange what they play. SoundExchange collects the royalties and uses the reports of what the services played to distribute the royalties they collect. One-half of the royalties collected go to the performers on the sound recording, and one-half to the copyright holders of the recording, usually the record labels that own the copyrights for sound recordings.” You can find more information on David’s communications law blog here. You can see the Court's decision here.

Starting on July 26, 2023, all the remaining broadcast applications not yet available in the FCC’s LMS database will be transitioning to that database. Thus, for the first time, the following applications should be filed in LMS starting on July 26: Application for Construction Permit for AM Broadcast Station Application for AM Broadcast Station License Application for Direct Measurement of AM Broadcast Station AM Engineering Special Temporary Authorization (STA) Extension of AM Engineering STA Application for Construction Permit for New Class D Noncommercial Educational FM Broadcast Station Application for Construction Permit for New Low Power FM Station Equipment Test Authority Notification Program Test Authority Notification Restoration of Licensed Operation You can see the Media Bureaus Notice here.

To help with the campaign to keep AM receivers in Electric Vehicles (EVs), NAB has prepared a number of materials to help stations present this issue to members of Congress and state policymakers. According to the NAB: "Ongoing reports of certain automakers removing AM radio from their automobiles is of great concern to all of us at NAB and within the radio industry. We are working with media and policymakers to shine a light on the risk this poses to public safety and have developed tools to allow AM listeners to tell their members of Congress to advocate for AM radio in vehicles. While NAB leads broadcast advocacy in Washington, D.C., local radio stations have an important role to play in touting the benefits of AM radio. It is important that we remind automakers that more than 80 million Americans depend on AM radio for public safety, weather, traffic, news, community connection, entertainment and more." The tool kit contains a variety of information, including radio spots, that are designed to help keep AM received in EVs. NAB is asking stations to use these tools below to talk about the many benefits of AM radio on your station’s airwaves, online, and in direct appeals to listeners. You may access NAB’s AM radio Took Kit here. NAB has provided additional information about the problem of AM receivers in EVs here.

As you know, NYSBA and other state broadcast associations have urged the FCC to change how it calculates regulatory fees for broadcasters. We have noted that the FCC’s costs of regulating other services, such as regulating unlicensed devices, have been incorrectly included in the costs of broadcast regulation. Yesterday, the FCC released a new Notice of Proposed Rulemaking that will govern the regulatory fees for this year, 2023. FCC fees are based primarily on the number of Commission employees it takes to regulate the industry. For years we have complained that many of the employees, on which the fees are based, did not directly regulate broadcasting as part of their duties. For example, in past years the costs of FCC employees assigned to regulate the Universal Service Fund were imposed in part on broadcasters. According to the NPRM, employee costs of regulating non-broadcast activity will now be assigned to those FCC Bureaus that regulate that industry, especially the Wireline and Wireless Bureaus. Under the new calculation, the total amount of fees proposed for all broadcasting in 2023 will be $55.68 million. This is lower than the $62.07 million collected in 2022. In addition, the FCC proposes to create a separate tier for small broadcasters. Previously, there was one tier for stations serving populations under 25,000. This resulted in very small stations having to pay higher fees. The FCC is now proposing to create a separate radio payment tier for stations serving under 10,000 and a tier for stations serving populations of 10,000 to 25,000. This should result in lower payments for broadcasters serving small markets. Importantly, this is simply a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking that has been open for public comment. It is not a final rule. Nonetheless, the FCC’s proposal appears to be a step in the right direction. Our years of lobbying will hopefully bear fruit. We will keep you updated! You can see the FCC’s Notice of Proposed Rulemaking including the proposed fees for stations here.

Broadcasting encompasses a wide variety of professions. We have journalists, producers, creative designers, digital services, sales, marketing, finance, and new technology. In short, our industry offers exciting careers for young professionals! We are looking for brief videos from those working at radio and television stations in New York. Submit a short 30 to 60-second video that highlights your day-to-day responsibilities and what it is like to work in broadcasting. Our goal is to post these videos on our new website career page to better inform and prepare college students who may be interested in a career in broadcasting. If we use your video on the website, you will receive a $100 gift certificate from NYSBA. Please record your video vertically as we may upload some videos on social media to showcase this initiative. Also, include your name and the station where you are employed. The decision on whether to use the video will be at the sole discretion of the NYSBA. Please submit all videos to Nora Kipp at nkipp@nysbroadcasters.org. You can find the video guidelines and question/topic ideas here.

A study included in Inside Radio provides further insight into the popularity of AM radio formats. Looking at AM stations across the country, the most popular format is talk, which appears on 680 stations. The second most popular format is religious teaching (512) stations, followed by sports (503), news/talk (398), and classic hits (293), all of which round out the top five. Also, according to Inside Radio, two New York stations (WCBS 880 and WABC 770) have the highest cume among AM radio stations in the U.S. You can see the complete Report in Inside Radio here.

The FCC has granted two Petitions for Rulemaking that propose changes to the digital audio broadcasting (DAB) technical rules. The proposed changes would permit additional FM stations to increase FM hybrid digital effective radiated power (FM Digital ERP) beyond the existing levels without the need for individual Commission authorization. In addition, the FCC proposes to allow a digital FM station to operate with asymmetric power on the digital sidebands. This would allow stations to operate with different power levels on the upper and lower digital sidebands, as a way to facilitate greater digital FM radio coverage without interfering with adjacent channel FM stations. Comments and reply comments on the NPRM will be due 30 days and 45 days, respectively, after the item is published in the Federal Register. You can access the FCC’s Notice of Proposed Rulemaking here.

FCC and FEMA have scheduled a Nationwide EAS Test for October 4, 2023. (The backup date will be October 11.) FEMA will transmit the nationwide test of the EAS at 2:20 pm EDT on October 4, 2023, using the Integrated Public Alert and Warning System (IPAWS). The test will be sent in English and Spanish as a Common Alerting Protocol (CAP) message using the Nationwide Test of the Emergency Alert System (NPT) code. Importantly, as part of the EAS testing process, stations will be required to review and update the information on their ETRS form 1 by September 15th. Stations were required to submit an ETRS Form 1 in February 2023. Stations should make sure the information is up to date. ETRS Form 2 will be due the day of the test with Form 3 due as a follow-up report after the test. You can access the FCCs extensive Public Notice on the Test here. FEMA has also issued a Public Notice here. You can access the FCC’s ETRS webpage here.

The New York State Broadcasters Association, Inc., announces the addition of five new inductees to the New York State Broadcasters Hall of Fame. The induction ceremony will take place at our annual luncheon in the Rainbow Room, 30 Rockefeller Plaza New York City on October 26, 2023. Regarding the class of 2023, David Donovan, President of the New York State Broadcasters Association stated, “The Hall of Fame Class of 2023 represents the finest in our broadcasters in New York. Each inductee represents a lifetime of achievement serving their profession, community, and our nation. We are honored to have them join the Hall of Fame.” The New York State Broadcasters Hall of Fame is located at the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications at Syracuse University. Entering the Hall of Fame in 2023 will be: Angie Martinez – WWPR 105.1 FM, New York City Angie Martinez's name has become synonymous with the word New York, by turning a misspent youth into being crowned "The Voice of New York." This multi-hyphenated powerhouse proudly managed to represent her culture in every category; from radio DJ for three decades with her eponymous show that captured her a coveted NAB Marconi Radio Award and inducted her into the Radio Hall of Fame in 2020, to a performing artist garnering a Grammy nomination and BET nomination for her power female anthems, to then stepping in front of the camera to star in cult classic, Brown Sugar. Her appetite was far from being sated, so she penned her voice and became a New York Times Best Seller. Storytelling being the core of Angie's DNA, led her to produce and host the NAACP-nominated IRL Podcast. Upon her first anniversary of the IRL Podcast, she established In Real Life Productions; a self-funded production company and the amalgamation of the IRL Brand. In Real Life Productions was launched by executively producing ABC's Hip Hop @ 50 Special and being a lead producer for 2023's Essence Festival. This inimitable force is living her golden age by gilding her place in history with a Hollywood Star. Martinez will be cemented in the Class of 2024's Hollywood Walk of Fame. In her spare time, Angie took her voice to the streets and ran the 2014 New York Marathon and raised $250,000 for CC Sabathia’s PitCChIn Foundation, which improves the lives of inner-city youth. Continuing her advocacy for healthy living, she co-authored a cookbook with Bravo TV's Top Chef Star Angelo Sosa called "Healthy Latin Eating," which included recipes from fellow celebrity friends: Fat Joe, Celia Cruz, John Leguizamo, and many more. From interning at age 15, cultivating the curiosity in her voice with legendary interviews in the early '90s with Biggie and Tupac, to her growing empire, Martinez says, "She's still figuring it out, In Real Life." Irv Gikofsky (“Mr. G”) – WPIX-TV Channel 11, New York City Irv Gikofsky, also known as Mr. G, delivered forecasts on New York television for almost 40 years. New York’s most popular TV weatherman, Mr. G, began his career as a schoolteacher at Albert Einstein Intermediate School in the Bronx. As a teacher, he created the New York City school system’s first computerized weather program for use by children and their teachers. After teaching in public school for a decade, Mr. G was recruited right out of the classroom to become a TV weatherman at New York’s WCBS-TV in 1977. Mr. G joined WPIX as the weekday weatherman in September 1993, where he has won six Emmy Awards and an Edward R. Murrow Award. In 2008, Mike Wallace presented the Friar’s Club Lifetime Achievement Award to Mr. G. He also received the Estabrook Award as an outstanding Hofstra Alumnus. He was honored with a “Mr. G Day” proclamation for his work with kids. During his tenure at PIX, the “News at 10” was named Best Newscast by numerous prestigious outlets, including the New York State Associated Press Broadcasters Association and the New York Press Club. Outside of the newsroom, he participated in 34 New York City Marathons. During his 44-year career, Mr. G guided New Yorkers through hurricanes, snowstorms, heatwaves, arctic air, and more. In that journey, citizens of the Big Apple trusted him to be clear, likable, and informative. That relationship has a unique special quality of a New Yorker speaking to New Yorkers. Never forgetting his beginnings as a schoolteacher, “Mr. G” visited over 500 schools during his outstanding career. Craig Stevens Harris – WCDO 1490 AM/100.9 FM/92.3 FM, Sidney Craig’s career literally defines small-market radio. His commitment to the local communities that WCDO serves is a true testament to the way radio was meant to be. Originally from Nyack, NY, Craig began his radio journey by doing morning announcements and sports scores over the high school PA system. He attended SUNY Geneseo where he earned a BA in Communications and Public Relations (1980-84) and served as station manager of campus radio station WGSU-FM during his senior year. Craig landed his first radio job at WDNY in Dansville, NY just two weeks after graduation and one month later was hired as a weekend DJ at 98PXY in Rochester. In 1986, at the age of 23, he accepted a station manager position at WCDO AM/FM in Sidney, NY where he has remained for 37 years. Craig has become a mainstay on the air and in the community, in addition to attaining station ownership. He has served on many local boards and organizations, coached youth sports for 8 years, and in 2019 was inducted into the Canoe Regatta Hall of Fame as a Contributor. Under his leadership, WCDO has earned 5 NYSBA awards, a NYSBA “Serving NY” award, a Sidney Chamber Of Commerce “Business Of The Years” award, a NY State Assembly “Commitment to Community” Citation, and outstanding media support honors from numerous organizations including the American Cancer Society “Relay For Life,” the Southern Tier Chapter of the American Red Cross, Chenango Toys For Tots, and Catholic Charities. To say Craig has worn many hats is an understatement. From coordinating 15-person coverage of a 70-mile canoe marathon and reporting from a fire rescue boat in flood waters to introducing comedian Ray Romano in Binghamton and discussing game one of the Mets/Yankees World Series with former President Bill Clinton, Craig has done it all. Dan Cummings – WSYR-TV Channel 9, Syracuse After a 45-year career in broadcast news, Dan Cummings retired from WSYR-TV (ABC), NewsChannel 9, in Syracuse in 2021. During his 37 years at NewsChannel 9, he anchored and reported for every major newscast and hosted the station’s weekly public affairs programs “Central Issues” and “Newsmakers.” Dan is a two-time Emmy award-winner for his work on “Veterans Voices,” a special program paying tribute to those who’ve served our country. In 2013, he was honored with a regional Edward R. Murrow award for Best News Documentary for "Saints Among Us," which told the stories of newly canonized Saints Marianne Cope and Kateri Tekakwitha. He was recognized twice by the New York State Broadcasters Association for Best Documentary for his coverage of Honor Flight Syracuse missions to Washington. He has also been honored twice with the Syracuse Press Club’s Professional Standards Award, and in 2018 was named to the Press Club's Wall of Distinction. Before launching his TV career, Dan anchored and reported radio news at 62-WHEN in Syracuse, WTKO and WHCU in Ithaca, and WNYR in Rochester. During his entire career at NewsChannel 9, Dan has been actively involved in the Central NY community. He served on several boards and hosted fundraisers for non-profits including the Syracuse Rescue Mission, Samaritan Center, Elmcrest Children’s Center, InterFaith Works, Catholic Charities, Francis House, Bishop Grimes Junior-Senior High School, the City-County Drug and Alcohol Abuse Commission, the Everson Museum, and Hope for Bereaved. In retirement, he joined the board of Honor Flight Syracuse. Dan also continues to host a monthly interview program on WCNY Community FM, “CNY Heroes,” dealing with veteran’s issues. Dan was born and raised in southern Cayuga County. He holds a bachelor's degree from SUNY Geneseo, a master's degree from Cornell University, and honorary degrees from LeMoyne College and Onondaga Community College. Bob Matthews – WHAM 1180 AM, Rochester For over 35 years, Bob Matthews has held the title of Rochester’s most popular sportswriter/commentator. Bob has also been a newspaper sports columnist and a regular contributor to the Gannett News Service, where he served as two national sports columnists. He is the only person to be selected as the Press-Radio Club’s Sportswriter of the Year (five times) and Sportscaster of the Year (3 times). He was also a pioneer inductee into Rochester’s Frontier Field Walk of Fame. He was the key media crusader for building a new stadium, which kept the Rochester Redwings baseball team in Rochester. Additionally, he is a member of the Rochester Redwings Hall of Fame. A Rochester native, Bob graduated from Brighton High School where he played varsity baseball and basketball and served as student council Vice President. Bob is also a veteran, having served our country in Vietnam. Tickets for the luncheon are available for purchase here.

We are pleased to report that the AM for Every Vehicle Act (H.R. 3413) continues to receive additional support in the House of Representatives. As we go to press 140 members of the House have endorsed the legislation. HR 3413 would require the Department of Transportation to adopt a rule stating that all vehicles sold, imported, or manufactured in the U.S. must contain AM receivers as standard equipment. This includes electric and traditional vehicles. We are especially pleased that Rep. Elise Stefanik (R North Country) and Rep. Nick LaLota (R. Long Island) have now endorsed the legislation. Gaining Rep. Stefanik’s endorsement is important as she is one of the top four leaders among House Republicans. She is the Republican Conference Chairperson which is the organization consisting of all Republican Party members in the House. Thirteen members of the New York House of Representatives Delegation have endorsed the legislation. This includes both Democrats and Republicans. The following members have signed on: Rep. D'Esposito, Anthony [R-NY-4] Rep. Espaillat, Adriano [D-NY-13] Rep. Goldman, Daniel S. [D-NY-10] Rep. LaLota, Nick [R-NY-1] Rep. Langworthy, Nicholas A. [R-NY-23] Rep. Malliotakis, Nicole [R-NY-11] Rep. Meng, Grace [D-NY-6] Rep. Molinaro, Marcus J. [R-NY-19] Rep. Morelle, Joseph D. [D-NY-25] Rep. Nadler, Jerrold [D-NY-12] Rep. Stefanik, Elise M. [R-NY-21] Rep. Tenney, Claudia [R-NY-24] Rep. Tonko, Paul [D-NY-20] As we go to press, the House Commerce Committee has not scheduled H.R. 3413 for a vote. We will keep you updated as this bill moves through the House of Representatives.

Last week, the FCC enacted additional rules to govern the rollout of ATSC 3.0 or NextGen TV. The new regulations address several issues concerning the obligation of TV stations. Some of the highlights of the Third Report and order are as follows: The FCC generally adopted its proposal in the NextGen TV Multicast Licensing FNPRM to allow a NextGen TV station to seek a modification of its license to include some of its non-primary video programming streams (multicast streams) that are aired on “host” stations during a transitional period. The Commission will follow the same licensing framework and to a large extent the same regulatory regime, established for the simulcast of primary video programming streams on “host” station facilities. The FCC extended the sunsets of, and thus retain in effect until at least July 17, 2027, the substantially similar rule for simulcast streams and the requirement to comply with the ATSC A/322 standard on primary 3.0 streams. Given that NextGen TV stations must, without any additional spectrum allocation, continue serving ATSC 1.0 viewers while voluntarily transitioning to ATSC 3.0, the FCC took actions that will minimize viewer disruption as much as possible during this limited transition period. The Commission will permit stations in a market to work together to preserve viewers’ access to ATSC 1.0-formatted programming during the transition. This policy will simultaneously facilitate broadcasters’ voluntary transition to ATSC 3.0, which can provide consumers with the benefit of new and innovative services while protecting the vast majority of over-the-air TV viewers who continue to rely on 1.0 equipment. The FCC also sought additional comments on several issues. In a Fourth Further Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (RAND FNPRM), the Commission seeks further comment on the current marketplace for ATSC 3.0 Standard Essential Patents (SEPs) and the ability of third parties to develop products that rely upon them. It also sought comment on the impact on consumers if the Commission were to adopt, or not adopt, rules to require essential patent holders in 3.0 technology to commit to licensing them on reasonable and non-discriminatory (RAND) terms. You can access the FCC’s NextGen TV decision here.

The AM Radio in Every Vehicle Act (H.R. 3413) continues to gain support. In the U.S. House of Representatives, the legislation now has 122 cosponsors. Most recently, Representatives Joe Morelle (D. Rochester) and Rep. Marc Molinaro (R. Hudson Valley) “signed on” to the legislation. Ten members of the U.S. House of Representatives from New York are now supporting the bill. As you can see, there is strong bipartisan support for keeping AM radio in the dashboard. The following members of the NY delegation have signed on to the House bill (H.R. 3413): Rep. D'Esposito, Anthony [R-NY-4] Rep. Espaillat, Adriano [D-NY-13] Rep. Langworthy, Nicholas A. [R-NY-23] Rep. Malliotakis, Nicole [R-NY-11] Rep. Meng, Grace [D-NY-6] Rep. Molinaro, Marcus J. [R-NY-19] Rep. Morelle, Joseph D. [D-NY-25] Rep. Nadler, Jerrold [D-NY-12] Rep. Tenney, Claudia [R-NY-24] Rep. Tonko, Paul [D-NY-20] In addition, 23 Senators have "signed on" to the bill (S.1669) including Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (S. 1669). We continue to press all members of the NY delegation on this important issue.