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.

As in the past, missing a regulatory fee payment deadline results in an automatic penalty equal to 25% of the total amount of fees due.

Early this week, the Media Bureau will set the September deadline for remitting filing fees and publish a Fee Filing Guide providing guidance and procedures on how to remit regulatory fees. We will be contacting clients with commercial stations once the Media Bureau’s fees are populated in CORES.

To qualify for filing window participation, applicants must already be licensee of the proposed FM translator’s primary station, however, the public notice clarifies that an applicant that is the proposed assignee or transferee of an existing NCE FM, noncommercial AM radio broadcast station, or LPFM station (primary station) that the proposed FM translator station will rebroadcast may file applications in the window, provided that: (1) an assignment of license or transfer of control application for the primary station is on file at the time of filing the NCE reserved band FM translator station construction permit application, and (2) the proposed assignee or transferee requests a temporary waiver of section 74.1233(b)(5)(i) of the rules.

On the points system, the notice clarified that even though FM translators are not technically assigned a “community of license” and therefore don’t have to provide coverage over that entire community, the FCC will still require that, to qualify for the three “local established applicant” points, an applicant must propose to provide a 60 dBu contour over some portion of the proposed community of license.

Separately, the notice clarifies that to qualify for the two points for “diversity of ownership,” an applicant must certify that the 60 dBu contour of the proposed NCE FM translator station does not overlap with: (1) the principal community contour of any existing full-service AM, or the principal community (70 dBu) contour of a full-service FM or LPFM radio station, or (2) the 60 dBu contour of any existing non-fill-in FM translator station, in which the applicant, or any party to the application, holds an attributable interest.

Applications filed during the window must be electronically submitted in LMS using the Form 2100, Schedule 349 FM translator construction permit application, which is currently available for applicants to begin working on applications.  Applicants may only have attributable interests in 10 applications in the window. The FCC’s earlier notice announcing filing procedures remains in place.

Any permits granted in the window will be subject to a 4-year holding period prohibiting a change in primary station or a sale of the translator without the primary station.

The FCC is implementing a limited filing freeze beginning October 2, 2026 on all LPFM, FM translator and FM booster station minor mod applications, which will continue through the close of the filing window.

Opponents challenged the Media Bureau notice and the US Court of Appeals for the 4^th Circuit last week vacated the guidance.  Proponents of the FCC’s guidance have now filed with the US Supreme Court for an emergency stay of the 4^th Circuit’s ruling.  Earlier last week, the Media Bureau considered and dismissed a petition for reconsideration on the same subject.

The lowest unit charge period for the November elections begins on September 4^th. If a stay is granted, the Media Bureau’s guidance will stand. If not, the more restrictive application of the lowest unit charge will govern. Pay close attention to the legal outcome so that your station is properly applying lowest unit charge rates.

(1) Prior to any use to broadcast to the public, EAS Participants must change any default password, use strong passwords, and change any password if the EAS Participant has reason to believe that the password has been compromised. A strong password is any password that has a minimum of 15 characters and does not use dictionary words. Instead of using a strong password, EAS Participants may use alternative authentication measures, such as look-up secrets, out-of-band devices, single- or multi-factor one-time password devices, or single- or multi-factor cryptographic authentication, that are reasonably sufficient to mitigate the risk of unauthorized access. Passwords employed to comply with this requirement may not be reused for the EAS Participant’s other accounts, equipment, applications, or services.

(2) Install security patches and security-related software and firmware updates issued by equipment manufacturers promptly after those patches or upgrades become available. Security patches and security related software and firmware updates issued by equipment manufacturers may be tested before they are installed, provided that the testing begins promptly and is completed in a timeframe that is consistent with industry best practices.

(3) Use a network firewall or comparable network segmentation practice that limits remote management access to authorized devices and authorized users.

Radio and TV Stations located in North Carolina, South Carolina, Illinois, Wisconsin and California: if five (5) full time employee threshold is met, prepare EEO public file report covering the period from August 1, 2025 to July 31, 2026, upload it to the station online public inspection file and post it on the station website

Mid-Term EEO Reviews for Radio stations have ended because all radio stations are now beyond the mid-point of their current 8-year license renewal term. License renewal applications for radio stations in the District of Colombia, Maryland, Virginia and West Virginia will be due in one year on June 1, 2027

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

August 3, 2026

FCC Form 2100 Schedule 349 (FM Translator Construction Permit Application) available for data entry in LMS – applications for November NCE FM translator window can begin preparing applications on this date.

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

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 August 25, 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

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.

Applications filed during the window must be electronically submitted in LMS using the Form 2100, Schedule 349 FM translator construction permit application, which will now first become available on August 3, 2026.  The Notice and application instructions will govern application completion requirements.

The FCC’s earlier notice announcing filing procedures remains in place, but the Bureau staff has received questions regarding point system criteria and may issue a new public notice to provide additional guidance and clarification.

To qualify for filing window participation, applicants must already be licensee of the proposed FM translator’s primary station and may only have attributable interests in 10 applications filed in the window.  Applications filed during the window will not be visible to other applicants until the end of the filing window, which will avoid predatory filings. Because the authorizations are noncommercial, there is no application filing fee.

FM translator applications proposing a 1 mV/m coverage contour entirely within the protected contour of its NCE primary station will be prioritized and granted over any other conflicting application that extends beyond the protected contour of its primary station.  For all other applications that conflict with/are mutually exclusive with other applications proposing the same service (i.e., ‘fill-in’ or ‘non-fill-in’) the FCC will use a points system and tiebreakers to determine who will be awarded the permit.

The point system is the same one used for full power NCE FM radio stations.  A total of 7 points may be awarded – 3 points for an established local applicant, 2 points for diversity of ownership or state-wide network, and up to two points for technical superiority.  Tie-breakers are applied sequentially using existing radio station authorizations, then number of pending radio station applications, and then first-filed application.  All claimed points must be supported by documentation submitted with the application or the claimed points will not be awarded. As mentioned above, the FCC may issue clarifying guidance on points system questions.

Any permits granted in the window will be subject to a 4-year holding period prohibiting a change in primary station or a sale of the translator without the primary station.

The FCC is implementing a limited filing freeze beginning October 2, 2026 on all LPFM, FM translator and FM booster station minor mod applications, which will continue through the close of the filing window.  So, for those thinking of filing to modify an existing LPFM, FM translator or FM booster station, the clock is ticking and you have about 60 days to get those prepared and filed before the freeze begins.

Repealing the cap will give the FCC a tool to level the playing field between television and other video content providers who have no market restrictions, while enhancing localism and promoting investment in news gathering operations.

The 2-1 Republican majority likely means a vote in favor of repealing the cap, though legal challenges are sure to follow.  The 39% cap was adopted by Congress, and some argue that only Congress can change it. Chairman Carr has countered that Congress has not withdrawn or curtailed the FCC’s power/authority to regulate or change ownership limits, and pointed to prior positions on both sides of the aisle that agree with that position.

Despite IHeart’s position that it did not trade radio airplay in exchange for artist performances at Company events and therefore had no obligation to make on-air disclosure under the FCC’s payola policies, the Company did agree to augment its existing payola practices and policies.  Their agreement to do so halted the investigation, subject to compliance with a slew of compliance actions agreed to in the consent decree.

Those compliance actions include, among several others, documented disclosure of anti-payola policies to music artists, a hotline for company employees to report potential violations (with accompanying tracking log), whistleblower protection for employees, and agreeing to discipline employees in the event of any future forfeiture order.

For stations or station groups that use musical artists in connection with company events or concerts, a close reading of the consent decree is a good idea. There may be actions that could augment your payola policies or add ‘insurance’ against non-compliance with future potential complaints or investigations.