FCC Permanently Eliminates Pre-Filing License Renewal Announcements

Beginning with stations filing renewal applications in August 2020, the FCC has permanently eliminated any requirement for stations to broadcast pre-filing announcements about those applications.  August 2020 renewal stations would have had to begin airing such announcements on June 1, and broadcast a total of four.  The FCC had previously excused stations filing June 1, 2020 renewal applications from having to air pre-filing announcements.

As a result, no broadcast stations filing for license renewal will ever again have to make any announcement in advance of their renewal application filing.  The elimination of this requirement comes in connection with a broader FCC Order (summarized in the next article) that revamps the rule requiring local public notices for certain broadcast applications.

Post-filing announcements will still have to be made, but the format, timing and certification of those on-air announcements will be different.