Entertainment Law, Media Law and Telecoms Law

The Protect College Sports Act caps major conference membership at 20 schools, but a critical loophole exists: while the legislation prevents conference expansion, it contains no provisions prohibiting conferences from expelling existing members. This oversight could enable conferences to strategically remove underperforming schools to increase per-member revenue shares, fundamentally reshaping college athletics through contraction rather than expansion.

The NCAA's new five-year eligibility rule has sparked unprecedented legal battles, including attempts by former NFL players to return to college football and a class action lawsuit by athletes excluded from the policy. These disputes highlight the complex intersection of professional sports contracts, conference regulations, and antitrust law in the evolving landscape of college athletics.

The U.S. Senate took a major step toward a unified federal framework for college athletics by passing the Protect College Sports Act (“the Act”) (S. 4668) with an overwhelming 77-22 bipartisan vote. Even though the Act cleared the Senate with strong bipartisan support many questions remain about antitrust protections, the status of student athletes becoming university employees, and whether the bipartisan support in the Senate will lead to similar support and passage in the House.

The Federal Communications Commission has eliminated the National Television Audience Reach Cap, which previously prevented entities from owning broadcast TV stations reaching more than 39% of U.S. households. The agency will now conduct case-by-case public interest reviews of transactions that would have exceeded this threshold, fundamentally changing how broadcast television consolidation is evaluated.

FEMA and the FCC will conduct a nationwide test of the Emergency Alert System on November 17, 2026, requiring participation from all radio and television stations, cable systems, and satellite services. EAS Participants must file three separate forms through the EAS Test Reporting System, with specific deadlines ranging from October 30, 2026, through January 2027. Certain translator and repeater stations are exempt from the registration and filing requirements.

As entertainment lawyers, we are often asked a deceptively simple question by creatives, producers, and studios: “Can we use this trademark in our project?”

The Federal Trade Commission is intensifying its focus on fraud prevention, particularly targeting government and business impersonation schemes and online platforms that facilitate deceptive practices. Meanwhile, the National Advertising Division has revealed emerging trends in advertising disputes spanning household products, health claims, and new industries like AI and cannabis, while implementing significant procedural changes to strengthen enforcement and compliance mechanisms.

Ilan Lavian, Founder of Lavian P. C., looks to make a name for himself in TCPAWorld. Troutman Amin brings you an exclusive interview to see what he’s all about!

This comprehensive newsletter covers recent consumer protection enforcement actions by the FTC, CFPB, and state Attorneys General, alongside NAD advertising challenge decisions and regulatory developments. The update examines settlements involving deceptive business practices, data breaches, and unlawful operations, while highlighting new guidance on price transparency and impersonation rules that will shape compliance strategies across industries.

A Massachusetts federal court case examines whether artificial intelligence-generated voice messages constitute prerecorded calls under the Telephone Consumer Protection Act, raising novel questions about how AI technology intersects with decades-old telemarketing regulations. The lawsuit stems from a wrong number incident where a car purchase inquiry allegedly used robotic voice technology without proper consent.

Ilan Lavian, Founder of Lavian P. C., looks to make a name for himself in TCPAWorld. Troutman Amin brings you an exclusive interview to see what he’s all about!

The Communications and Technology Transparency Act of 2026 proposes significant reforms to the FCC's Covered List framework, which restricts communications equipment deemed to pose national security risks. The bipartisan legislation would broaden the scope of products subject to restriction while simultaneously limiting future additions to items from foreign adversaries and introducing new transparency requirements.