Revised Annual Children’s Television Report Available; Extended Deadline Remains March 30, 2020

As promised, the FCC made the revised Children’s Television Report available to commercial television stations on January 30, 2020.  You can access the form by logging in to LMS with your FRN and password, selecting the “Facilities” tab, clicking on the station’s facility id number, and then selecting the report from the pull-down menu by clicking on the “File an Application” blue button.  Stations don’t have to file that report until March 30, 2020 (extended from the normal January 30 deadline), but we recommend that you take an early look at the form and what it requires (in other words, it’s a little complicated).

This first annual report will only cover the period from September 16 – December 31, 2019.  Stations must select the compliance option they used during that period, and at least 45 hours of core programming (prorated from the annual 156-hour requirement) must have aired during that period to meet the FCC requirements. The FCC already conducted a webinar on the new form, the slide show for which can be accessed here.

“Core” children’s programming under the new rules must (a) air between 6 a.m. and 10 p.m., (b) serve the educational and informational needs of children ages 16 and under as a significant purpose, (c) be regularly scheduled, except as allowed in compliance option 2, (d) be at least 30 minutes long, except as allowed under compliance option 2, (e) display the E/I symbol throughout the program (now for commercial stations only), (f) target child audience is specified in writing in the Form 398, and (g) instructions for listing the program as E/I are provided by the station to publishers of program guides (though such info will not have to include the specific age group any longer).