The Federal Emergency Management Agency (“FEMA”) and the Federal Communications Commission (“FCC”) have announced that a nationwide test of the Emergency Alert System (“EAS”) will take place on October 4, 2023, at 2:20 pm EDT. As we previously reported, EAS participants, with limited exceptions, should have already filed their ETRS Form 1 providing the FCC … Continue Reading
This week, the Commission issued a Public Notice announcing that the filing window for submitting biennial ownership reports will open on October 2, 2023. All licensees of commercial and non-commercial full power television, Class A television, low power television, AM radio, and FM radio stations, as well as any entity having an attributable interest such … Continue Reading
On June 21st, the FCC announced that the Universal Licensing System (ULS), Tower Construction Notification System (TCNS), E-106 System, and Antenna Structure Registration System (ASR) are now operational following an outage that began on June 9th. As discussed in our prior blog post, the FCC had previously extended filing deadlines to address the system … Continue Reading
The FCC announced that it would extend deadlines to accommodate outages in the Universal Licensing System (ULS), Tower Construction Notification System (TCNS), E-106 System, and Antenna Structure Registration Systems (ASR). These extended deadlines include: Regulatory Filings in ULS and ASR. All regulatory filings that needed to be or will need to be made in these … Continue Reading
The Federal Communications Commission (“FCC”) has largely granted the NAB’s request and will again extend for 18 months to November 26, 2024, the effective date of the FCC’s rule governing accessibility of emergency communications. This rule requires broadcasters to provide, during non-newscast programming, an aural representation of any visual, non-textual emergency information, such as radar … Continue Reading
June 1 Annual EEO Public Inspection File Report – Broadcasters with Station Employment Units comprised of radio and/or television stations with five or more full-time employees licensed to communities in Arizona, the District of Columbia, Idaho, Maryland, Michigan, Nevada, New Mexico, Ohio, Utah, Virginia, West Virginia, or Wyoming must upload to the stations’ respective Online … Continue Reading
The FCC announced today via Public Notice that mid-term EEO reviews for radio stations in DC, Maryland, Virginia, and West Virginia will begin on June 1. We discussed EEO mid-term reviews earlier this year in anticipation of this announcement. The Public Notice stated that “each television station that is part of an employment unit of … Continue Reading
On April 24, 2023 the FCC released its most recent list of broadcast stations that will be audited regarding their compliance with the FCC’s Equal Employment Opportunity (“EEO”) rules. Licensees of the audited stations will have to upload their audit responses to their online public inspection files by June 8, 2023. Approximately twice per year, … Continue Reading
On March 30, 2023, the FCC released a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (“NPRM”) seeking comment on the following proposed rules for a one-year filing window for eligible LPTV stations to apply for conversion to Class A designation: Eligibility Requirements The Commission proposes three eligibility requirements that LPTV stations must meet to apply for conversion to … Continue Reading
At the FCC Commissioners’ meeting on March 16, the FCC imposed new STIR/SHAKEN and robocall mitigation requirements on all providers, including intermediate providers and regardless of their STIR/SHAKEN implementation status. All providers are now required to take “reasonable steps” to mitigate illegal robocall traffic and must submit a certification and mitigation plan to the Commission’s … Continue Reading
March 31 Supply Chain Annual Report – Providers of advanced communications services that purchased, rented, leased, or otherwise obtained covered communications equipment and services on the Covered List in 2022 must submit an annual report on or before March 31, 2023 covering information as of December 31, 2022. The current version of the Covered List … Continue Reading
We remind radio licensees that Spring marks the mid-point of the current license term for some. This mid-point is significant because it marks the beginning of the period during which the FCC will conduct mid-term reviews to determine compliance with EEO requirements for radio station employment units that employ 11 or more full-time employees. Even … Continue Reading
April 1, 2023 Delaware or Pennsylvania Television License Renewal Applications Due – Applications for renewal of FCC licenses for television stations licensed to Delaware or Pennsylvania must be filed in LMS, the FCC’s online filing system. Schedule 396 the Broadcast EEO Program Report must accompany these applications. EEO Public File Reports – All licensed full-service radio and television broadcast stations, … Continue Reading
This is a reminder that the FCC previously advised that parties that are Emergency Alert System (“EAS”) Participants, which would include not only virtually all broadcast stations, but also, wired and wireless cable television systems, Satellite Digital Audio Radio Service, and wireline video systems, must submit Form One filings for calendar year 2022 in the … Continue Reading
On Friday, January 27, the FCC further extended the deadline for entities to complete certain required Online Public Inspection File (“OPIF”) uploads and certain Licensing and Management System (“LMS”) filings. The new due date for these uploads will be February 28, 2023. On January 6, 2023, following wide reports of technical challenges impacting licensee’s ability … Continue Reading
January 30, 2023 Children’s Television Programming Reports – Each commercial TV and Class A television station must electronically file its annual Children’s Television Programming Report, on FCC Form 2100 Schedule H, to report on programming aired by the station and other efforts in 2022 that were specifically designed to serve the educational and informational needs … Continue Reading
As many of you are aware – especially those subject to the looming January 10th issues/programs list upload deadline – the FCC’s online public file system has been painfully slow or nonfunctional since the beginning of this year. As a result, the FCC issued a public notice on Friday extending the time for uploading all … Continue Reading
With the new year around the corner, it is that time of year when we start to fill out upcoming deadlines in our new calendars! Below find a list of the approaching broadcast deadlines to keep an eye on. January 10, 2023 Issues/Programs Lists – For all commercial and noncommercial radio, television, and Class A television … Continue Reading
The Federal Communications Commission released a reminder that as of January 1, 2023, the audio description rules adopted in the Commission’s 2020 Audio Description Order will go into effect in the following designated market areas (“DMAs”): Madison Waco-Temple-Bryan Harlingen-Welasco-Brownsville-McAllen Paducah-Cape Girardeau-Harrisburg Colorado Springs-Pueblo Shreveport Syracuse Champaign and Springfield-Decatur Savannah Cedar Rapids-Waterloo-Iowa City and Dubuque The … Continue Reading
To accompany its recently adopted modifications to the requirements for the Emergency Alert System (“EAS”), the Federal Communications Commission (“FCC”) has issued a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (“NPRM”) to address the FCC’s ongoing concerns about operational readiness and the security of the EAS system from being acted or otherwise misused by bad actors. Comments on … Continue Reading
The Federal Communications Commission (“FCC”) recently adopted modifications to the requirements for the Emergency Alert System (“EAS”), and the new rules will go into effect on December 12, 2022. Fortunately, however, EAS participants, which include most radio and television stations, have one year, until December 12, 2023, in which to make the necessary changes to … Continue Reading
December 1, 2022 Television License Renewal Applications Due – Applications for renewal of license for television stations located in Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Vermont, and Rhode Island must be filed in LMS. These applications must be accompanied by Schedule 396, the Broadcast EEO Program Report, also filed in LMS, regardless of the number of … Continue Reading
Today, the FCC released a Public Notice extending the deadline for all regulatory fee payors to submit payment for their annual regulatory fees from September 28 to September 30 at 11:59 PM Eastern Daylight Time. Accordingly, payors have an additional two days to pay their fees without incurring a 25% penalty. Such a penalty will … Continue Reading
2022 Upcoming Broadcast Deadlines September Annual Regulatory Fees – On a date not yet determined, but certainly before September 30, 2022, annual regulatory fees will be due. These will be due and payable for Fiscal Year 2022 and will be based upon a licensee’s/permittee’s holdings on October 1, 2021, plus anything that might … Continue Reading
