FCC Adopts Joint Industry Proposals Modifying Digital TV "Kidvid" Rules

At its open meeting this morning, the Federal Communications Commission adopted a Second Order on Reconsideration and Second Report and Order in the proceeding applying the Commission’s Children’s Television Obligations to Digital Television. The purpose of this meeting was to consider petitions for reconsideration filed in response to the Commission’s 2004Report and Order in this proceeding, as well as a “Joint Proposal” filed by several industry groups (including both broadcast and cable interests) and children’s advocates in December 2005. Although the text of today’s decision has not yet been released, it appears that the Commission adopted the Joint Proposal in full.

The specific proposals, which were reported in our CRB Update of March 20, 2006, modify the Website rule, the Host-Selling Rule, the Promotions Rule, the Preemption Rule and the Multicasting Rule to allow a bit more flexibility than the hard and fast rules originally adopted by the Commission. Among other things, the FCC clarifies that certain public service announcements (PSAs), station identifications and emergency announcements are not subject to the rules that would have counted display of related web addresses as commercial matter. Please see the March 20 Update or contact us for additional details.