Broadcast Deadlines
Upcoming FCC Broadcast and Telecom Deadlines for December - February
December 1, 2021
Biennial Ownership Reports - All licensees and entities holding an attributable interest in a licensee of one or more AM, FM, TV, Class A television, and/or Low Power TV (LPTV) stations must file a biennial ownership report reflecting information as of October 1, 2019. Please recall that not only corporations and limited liability companies, but also sole proprietorships and partnerships composed entirely of natural persons (as opposed to a legal person, such as a corporation) are included in the licensees that must file reports. Please recall that noncommercial and commercial entities are required to file by the same date. Additionally, all persons holding an attributable interest in a commercial licensee must have acquired either an FCC Registration Number (FRN) or Restricted Use FRN.
Radio License Renewal Applications Due - Applications for renewal of license for radio stations located in Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont must be filed in the Licensing and Management System (LMS). These applications must be accompanied by Schedule 396, the Broadcast Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) Program Report, also filed in LMS, regardless of the number of full-time employees. Under the current public notice rules, radio stations, including LPFM stations, filing renewal applications must begin broadcasts of their post-filing announcements concerning their license renewal applications between the date the application is accepted for filing and five business days thereafter and must continue for a period of four weeks. Once complete, full-power radio stations must post a certification of broadcast, with a copy of the announcement's text, to the Online Public Inspection File (OPIF) within seven days. FM translators must post renewal notice texts on an acceptable website (station, licensee, parent or as otherwise described by the FCC), linked under the title FCC Applications, within five business days after the date on which the FCC issues PN of the acceptance of the renewal application and must remain posted for 30 days.
Television License Renewal Applications Due - Applications for renewal of license for television stations located in Colorado, Minnesota, Montana, North Dakota, and South Dakota 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 full-time employees. Under the current public notice rules, television stations (including LPTV stations that originate programming) filing renewal applications must begin broadcasts of their post-filing announcements concerning their license renewal applications between the date the application is accepted for filing and five business days thereafter and must continue for a period of four weeks. Once complete, TV stations must post a certification of broadcast, with a copy of the announcement's text, to the Online Public Inspection File (OPIF) within seven days. LPTV stations that do not originate programming and TV translators must post renewal notice texts on an acceptable website (station, licensee, parent or as otherwise described by the FCC), linked under the title FCC Applications, within five business days after the date on which the FCC issues PN of the acceptance of the renewal application and must remain posted for 30 days.
EEO Public File Reports - All radio and television station employment units with five or more full-time employees and located in Alabama, Colorado, Connecticut, Georgia, Maine, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Montana, New Hampshire, North Dakota, Rhode Island, South Dakota, and Vermont must place EEO Public File Reports in their OPIFs. For all stations with websites, the report must be posted there as well. Per announced FCC policy, the reporting period may end ten days before the report is due, and the reporting period for the next year will begin on the following day.
January 30, 2022
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 2021 that were specifically designed to serve the educational and informational needs of children.
Commercial Compliance Certifications - Each commercial TV and Class A television station must post to its OPIF a certification (or certifications) of compliance during 2021 with the statutory limits on commercial time during children's programming. The certification(s) should cover both the primary programming stream and all subchannels aired by the station.
February 1, 2022
Radio License Renewal Applications Due - Applications for renewal of license for radio stations located in New Jersey and New York must be filed in the Licensing and Management System (LMS). These applications must be accompanied by Schedule 396, the Broadcast Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) Program Report, also filed in LMS, regardless of the number of full-time employees. Under the current public notice rules, radio stations, including LPFM stations, filing renewal applications must begin broadcasts of their post-filing announcements concerning their license renewal applications between the date the application is accepted for filing and five business days thereafter and must continue for a period of four weeks. Once complete, full-power radio stations must post a certification of broadcast, with a copy of the announcement's text, to the Online Public Inspection File (OPIF) within seven days. FM translators must post renewal notice texts on an acceptable website (station, licensee, parent or as otherwise described by the FCC), linked under the title FCC Applications, within five business days after the date on which the FCC issues PN of the acceptance of the renewal application and must remain posted for 30 days.
Television License Renewal Applications Due - Applications for renewal of license for television stations located in Kansas, Nebraska, and Oklahoma 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 full-time employees. Under the current public notice rules, television stations (including LPTV stations that originate programming) filing renewal applications must begin broadcasts of their post-filing announcements concerning their license renewal applications between the date the application is accepted for filing and five business days thereafter and must continue for a period of four weeks. Once complete, TV stations must post a certification of broadcast, with a copy of the announcement's text, to the Online Public Inspection File (OPIF) within seven days. LPTV stations that do not originate programming and TV translators must post renewal notice texts on an acceptable website (station, licensee, parent or as otherwise described by the FCC), linked under the title FCC Applications, within five business days after the date on which the FCC issues PN of the acceptance of the renewal application and must remain posted for 30 days.
EEO Public File Reports - All radio and television station employment units with five or more full-time employees and located in Arkansas, Kansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Nebraska, New Jersey, New York, and Oklahoma must place EEO Public File Reports in their OPIFs. For all stations with websites, the report must be posted there as well. Per announced FCC policy, the reporting period may end ten days before the report is due, and the reporting period for the next year will begin on the following day.