FCC filing deadlines

While November is an odd numbered month in which there are no deadlines for EEO Public File or Mid-term Reports, and it is not the beginning of a new calendar quarter when Quarterly Issues Programs Reports are added to a station’s public file and Quarterly Children’s Television Reports are filed with the FCC, that does not mean that there are no dates of interest to broadcasters this month. In fact, there are numerous policy issues that will be decided in November, and filing dates both for television broadcasters and AM broadcasters seeking FM translators for their stations.

Do you know what upcoming FCC filing deadlines in early April through early May apply to you? Here’s a list.

Do you know what upcoming FCC filing deadlines now and through February apply to you? We do. Here’s a list.

It’s February, and we’re back to the normal cycle of FCC filings. Due to be placed in the public files of radio and TV stations with five or more full-time employees are EEO Public Inspection File Reports for radio and TV stations in the following states: Arkansas, Kansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Nebraska, New Jersey, New York and Oklahoma.

December is one of those months when all commercial broadcasters have at least one FCC deadline, and there are also many other filing dates of which many broadcasters need to take note. For all commercial broadcasters, Biennial Ownership Reports are due on Dec. 2. Hopefully, most broadcasters have already completed this filing obligation, as FCC electronic filing systems have been known to slow as a major deadline like this comes closer.

October has come and gone, and now the season is upon us — filing season, that is. Though winter is coming, December will be a hot month for radio and television FCC filings. Failure to meet any of these filing deadlines could result in fines or lost opportunities, putting a real damper on the holidays. With that in mind, here’s a summary of some of the major upcoming filing obligations and deadlines.

The FCC today issued a Public Notice reminding TV broadcasters (full-power, LPTV, translator and Class A stations, both commercial and noncommercial, if they have digital operations) that they must, by Dec. 1, file a report on the ancillary and supplementary services that they provide and pay a fee of 5% of gross revenues received by the TV station for such services.

October is one of those months where the regulatory stars align, when not only do broadcasters in many states have EEO Public File report obligations, but also Quarterly Issues Programs Lists need to be placed in the public files of all commercial and noncommercial stations, and Quarterly Children’s Television Reports need to be filed at the FCC and placed in the public files of television stations. On top of these routine obligations, there are a number of actions likely to be taken by the FCC that may affect many segments of the broadcast industry. So let’s look at some of the specifics.

If you’ve got something due to be filed at the FCC between Sept. 2 and 8,you just got an extension … to Sept. 9. Happy Labor Day! For this you can thank the commission’s IT gurus, who are going to perform “upgrades and improvements” to the various computer systems with which the commission routinely operates.

September is one of those few months of the year where there are no regular FCC filing deadlines. For TV stations that recently filed a renewal, or which are about to file one, there are the pre-or post-filing notices. But for most broadcasters, the one routine regulatory deadline in September (which has, in the past, sometimes fallen in August), is the obligation to pay annual regulatory fees. But, so far, the FCC has not released the order officially stating what those fees will be, or the notice setting the filing deadlines — though we expect these notices any day (perhaps any moment).

September is one of the few months without a due date for the standard regulatory filings — no renewals, EEO public file reports, and no Quarterly Issues Programs Lists or Children’s Television Reports. Instead, the big filing this month is one that applies to all commercial broadcasters (and most entities regulated by the FCC in other services as well) — the annual regulatory fees due on Sept. 20.

As the Thanskgiving Day tryptophan finally wears off, it’s important not to forget that Dec. 1 is a busy filing day for television and radio broadcasters alike. Here is a brief summary of the FCC’s Dec. 1 filing deadlines, along with links to previous posts describing the filing requirements in more detail.