NJBA Weekly Newsletter Friday, March 27, 2009

Public Inspection Files Need to be Updated by 4/10

By April 10, 2009, all radio and television broadcast stations, both commercial and noncommercial, must prepare and place in their public inspection files a list of important issues facing their communities, and the programs aired in the months of January, February and March dealing with those issues. Currently, these reports comprise the only legally required documents that demonstrate how a station has met its public service obligations to its community of license and service area. However, the FCC has adopted new rules for television stations that, among other things, will require the use of a standardized form (Form 355) for reporting quarterly issues programs lists and significantly increase the recordkeeping and reporting requirements facing television stations, as noted in this advisory. The failure to have a complete set of Quarterly Issues Programs lists that were prepared and placed in the station's public file at the proper time can lead to significant fines at license renewal time. Moreover, the failure to produce and document programs responsive to community needs could cause even greater problems for a broadcast licensee.

RFPs Go Out For New Ad Campaign in New Jersey

This week the New Jersey State Treasurer's office issued an RFP for advertising services to support a Tax Amnesty Campaign likely to run from May 1 to June 15. Governor Corzine signed the tax amnesty bill into law on Monday March 16 and the RFP hit the street within days afterwards. The budget is $3M and the RFP states a clear preference to potential bidders for radio and against television advertising as a component of the campaign. NJBA President Paul Rotella met with the State Treasurer this week to highlight the incredible value and effectiveness of NJ radio in reaching the audience targeted by this new legislation. 

FCC Commissioner Adelstein to Step Down

The President now has two FCC seats to fill and the Senate has not yet acted on the nomination of Julius Genachowski (D) to become Chairman, although the White House has finally submitted his nomination to the Senate this week. Jonathan Adelstein, who has served as an FCC Commissioner since November of 2002 announced his retirement as FCC Commissioner this week, moving to the Agriculture Department’s administrator for the Rural Utilities Services. President Obama has already sent his nomination to the Senate for this post.  (Adelstein has been keenly interested in making broadband and other services accessible to rural Americans.) Commissioner Adelstein has been a holdover Commissioner since last June, when he completed his second term on the FCC. Commissioner Adelstein has continually prodded the Commission to investigate the Arbitron’s Personal People Meter for alleged unfairness to minority audiences and New Jersey broadcasters. The NJBA wishes him well as he continues to serve the American people.