Dates to Remember 

Late September 2026

All Non-Exempt Commercial Broadcast Stations must remit annual regulatory fees during a to-be-set time period usually occurring in late September. The exact dates and amounts should be announced in late August 2026

September 29, 2026

All broadcast stations with EAS equipment: Effective date for new EAS rules requiring strong passwords, putting all access to transmission chain behind a firewall, and implementing latest software updates for all programming hardware and software.

October 1, 2026

Deadline for all Full Power Commercial and Noncommercial Television stations to place their 2027-29 carriage election statement in the public file (and if applicable, email the election to any MVPD providers for which carriage is initially being sought or changed) and deadline for all Class-A and Low Power Television stations eligible for mandatory carriage and making an initial carriage election or changing carriage status to send notice of their 2027-29 carriage election via email to MPVD providers. Emailed notices or elections must be sent to the MVPD’s email address listed in the “Carriage Election Contact Information” in the MVPD operator’s online public file.

Radio and TV Stations located in Iowa, Missouri, Alaska, American Samoa, Guam, Hawaii, Marianas Islands, Oregon, Washington, Florida, Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands: if five (5) full time employee threshold is met, prepare EEO public file report covering the period from October 1, 2025 to September 30, 2026, upload it to the station online public inspection file and post it on the station website

Mid-Term EEO Review for Television stations located in California: if station employment unit has five (5) or more full-time employees, an independent mid-term EEO review of the station’s last two EEO public file reports by the FCC will occur in connection with your upload of the 2025-26 EEO public file report due August 1.  By uploading an EEO public file report, the FCC automatically knows that the television station meets the 5 or more full-time employee threshold for a mid-term review. So unlike for radio, there is no OPIF mechanism available or needed for TV stations to specify the number of SEU employees

October 2, 2026

LPFM, FM translator and FM Booster Stations: Minor modification filing freeze begins and will continue until 6p ET on November 17, 2026.

October 10, 2026

TV, Class A, AM & FM Stations (commercial & noncommercial): Deadline to complete and upload to online public file the 3^rd Quarter 2026 issues/program lists and any foreign sponsorship identification reports

Class A TV Stations Only: Deadline to complete and post to your online public file the 3^rd Quarter 2026 certification of ongoing Class A eligibility

Noncommercial Broadcast Stations: Deadline to complete and post to your online public file the 3^rd   Quarter 2026 report for any 3^rd Party Fundraising conducted during the quarter

October 20, 2026

Deadline for all broadcast stations included in the FCC’s August 21, 2026 EEO Audit to upload their responses to the online public file of the audited station and any other stations in the station employment unit.

November 4, 2026

Noncommercial FM Translator filing window opens at 12:01 am ET.

November 17, 2026

Noncommercial FM Translator filing window closes at 6p ET.