Radio Station Online Public File Reminder

The FCC has determined that several radio stations have not completed their migration from a paper public file to the online public inspection file, as was required earlier this year. The FCC issued a reminder about the requirements and earlier deadlines on November 5^th. In that notice, the FCC advised that by November 15^th, it would automatically activate the online public files of those stations that had not done so.

Failure to place documents in and properly maintain a public inspection file is perhaps the most significant source of fines for stations at license renewal. In renewal applications, stations must certify that they have properly maintained and timely placed all required items in the public file for the entire 8-year license term. Minor infractions (i.e., being late by one or two days to upload a required document) don’t usually result in a monetary fine, but longer or repeated instances of public file infractions do.

All broadcast stations should be calendaring and using two-person control to ensure that items are timely uploaded to the public file. Excuses of “my employee forgot” or “that employee quit suddenly” do not hold water at the FCC.