Come and Get Your Ca$h

It’s been a long time coming, but LPTV and TV translator stations that were displaced by the post-auction repack can now enter the FCC’s “cash portal” to receive reimbursement for their reasonable costs incurred in moving to their new channel. Ok, there is no real cash portal, and the process for receiving funds is a bit complicated. But at least there’s a real path to reimbursement (thank you, Congress), where before, there was none.

Stations that qualify must complete and make two filings by October 15, 2019. First, a Form 399 Eligibility Certification must be completed and filed, with documentation uploaded to prove eligibility. A separate Form 399 Estimate/Request for Reimbursement must also be filed by that deadline. The FCC will then confirm eligibility and arrive at an allocation for each station.

To receive any monies, a station has to separately complete, sign and mail in a paper Form 1876 to have the FCC recognize the licensee entitled to reimbursement, and its bank account for receiving funds. That submission is not subject to the October 15, 2019 deadline, but filing the form is a prerequisite for receiving reimbursement dollars. It takes the FCC about 6 weeks to process that form and recognize your account, so keep that in mind.

Funds received are subject to audit, so don’t go buy new shoes or a car with this money. Creating a separate bank account just for reimbursement dollars is a good idea. That makes things easier to track, and greatly reduces the amount of perspiration produced while enduring the cold stare of that soulless auditor. Ok, we exaggerated just now.  A little.      You can read about the process at this link.