Dates to Remember
October 30, 2026
All EAS Participants must file ETRS Form One.... Read More
In light of the FCC’s decision to completely shut down its CDBS filing system for 17 days during the October government shutdown, the FCC has decided – only after a request was made — that commercial stations whose ownership reports were originally to be filed between October 1 – December 2, 2013 should still have […]
Read More →In response to growing pressure from AM station owners, and after a few pre-announcements that action was coming, the FCC has finally launched a rulemaking proceeding to relax certain AM technical rules and consider an AM station-only FM translator window. Every AM station owner should file comments in this proceeding. Comments are due January 21, […]
Read More →If your station airs commercial or other content that contains an EAS tone or something close to it as attention-getters, the FCC will hunt you down and fine you heavily. How serious is the FCC about this? Serious enough to more than triple the base forfeiture for false distress signals, and place a $25,000 price […]
Read More →No later than December 2, 2013, all digital full power, Class A and low power television stations must file an annual Ancillary/Supplementary Services Report on Form 317 with the FCC. The form reports any ancillary/supplementary services provided on a station’s excess digital capacity through September 30, 2013, along with any revenue received for such services. […]
Read More →In the form of a declaratory ruling, the FCC has clarified its policies and procedures for reviewing broadcast station transactions that would result in non-U.S. citizens owning more than 25% of the station. Currently, the Communications Act imposes a 25% limit on foreign ownership of U.S.-organized entities that control broadcast licensees when the FCC finds […]
Read More →Rarely does the FCC admit an error, and when they do, it is often in fine print. The last footnote of an October 31, 2013 decision by the FCC is where the latest error admission can be found. That decision considered the petition for reconsideration of a request for waiver of the FCC’s major change […]
Read More →It only took about 10 years, but the FCC has scheduled a “closed” auction for certain applicants that filed new AM station applications in a 2004 window. Closed auctions limit qualified bidders to the original qualified applicants identified by the FCC, so unless you are one of those, you cannot bid. The Auction is slated […]
Read More →The only update this month is that the FCC’s new chairman, Tom Wheeler, has publicly stated that he has immersed himself in incentive auction issues and will soon decide how best to move the process forward. The next logical step is the issuance of a long-awaited Report & Order from the Incentive Auction NPRM issued […]
Read More →These days, the FCC issues fines on a weekly basis to television stations that have not filed, or not timely filed, the quarterly FCC Form 398 Children’s Television Report, which is designed to ensure that stations are airing at least a minimum of 3 hours/week of informational/educational programming for children under the age of 16. […]
Read More →December 1 & 16: TV, Class A & LPTV Stations in Iowa & Missouri: air your POST-filing announcements AM & FM Stations in Alaska, American Samoa, Guam, Hawaii, Oregon & Washington: air your POST-filing announcements. December 1 & 16, 2013 and January 1 & 16, 2014: TV, Class A & LPTV Stations in Kansas, Nebraska […]
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