License Renewal Fines Issued

The Media Bureau has now fined a second station $15,000 and granted only a two-year license renewal for failing to prepare required quarterly issues/programs lists and failing to upload those lists to the online public file. You can read the decision here. The Bureau has also fined a station $1,500 for failing to timely file a license renewal application. The application was filed 42 days late. That decision is at this link for your reading pleasure.

The Bureau’s fines thus far into the “young” radio license renewal cycle have all been for egregious oversights like the ones described above. We’ve not yet seen how the Bureau will consider situations involving less egregious rule violations such as several late-filed issues/programs lists during a license term, or other selective documents that are missing from the public file.

Do you know who uploads your station’s required documents to the online public file? Are those uploads timely? Do you have a backup person that double checks the upload? Do you get an email notice from your employee that items have been uploaded by stated deadlines? You can access your station’s public file by inserting the call letters on this page. Trust but verify.