The New York Office of Cannabis Management has published its final rules regarding advertising by licensed cannabis distributors. The rules place significant restrictions on cannabis advertising, which may prevent cannabis advertising on local broadcast stations. To begin with, federal law still restricts stations from accepting cannabis advertising from licensed distributors in the state of New York. Since federal drug laws …
NY Gaming Commission Proposes Additional Sports Wagering Ad Regs
Advertising for online sports wagering and brick-and-mortar casino sports books has become an important source of revenue for local stations. At the present time, NY regulations regarding sports wagering require that advertising not be directed at people under 21 years of age. There can be no wagering on youth sports and sports involving colleges in New York. Advertising cannot include …
FCC Issues Fee Guide for Broadcast Applications
The FCC has issued a fee guide for a number of broadcast applications. This is not a fee guide for the annual regulatory fees. Rather, it is a guide for fees dealing with a number of broadcast applications such as construction permits, transfers, and other matters requiring an FCC application. The guide includes information regarding application fees for AM, FM, …
Lack of AM Receivers in New Electric Vehicles Draws Attention
Over the past several years there has been a growing concern about excluding AM receivers from electric vehicles. For example, Ford and Tesla are apparently planning to drop AM receivers from new EV models. Senator Ed Markey (D MA) has raised this issue with automakers in a recent letter. He noted: “Despite innovations such as the smartphone and social media, …
Congressman Tonko Introduces Legislation to Ban Sports Betting Ads
Last week New Your Congressman Paul Tonko (D. NY 20) introduced legislation that would ban all advertising relating to online sports betting and sportsbooks. In introducing the Betting on Our Future Act, Congressman Tonko observed in a recent Article: “As of today, 36 states have legalized sports betting, with 26 of those legalizing mobile sports betting. Few, if any, impose …
Remembering Basic EEO Obligations
Throughout the year, NYSBA receives a lot of questions regarding EEO obligations. The FCC’s obligations apply to stations with 5 or more full-time employees. They go beyond traditional nondiscrimination laws and require stations to take affirmative steps to reach out to the community. Noted FCC attorney David Oxenford has provided a basic outline describing local station’s EEO obligations. He notes: …