For nearly 80 years, the FCC’s Rules have required broadcasters to file paper copies of various types of documents relating to the control and operation of their stations. Section 73.3613 of the FCC’s Rules requires broadcasters to file with the FCC certain contracts and instruments relating to network affiliations, present…
We’ve said it before, and we’ll say it again: If you wait until the last minute to submit an online FCC filing, be prepared to bang your head against your desk while you struggle to log in to a filing system that often melts down when thousands of filers simultaneously…
The next Children’s Television Programming Report must be filed with the FCC and placed in stations’ public inspection files by October 10, 2018, reflecting programming aired during the months of July, August, and September 2018. Statutory and Regulatory Requirements As a result of the Children’s Television Act of 1990 (“Act”) and…
Each full power and Class A TV station being repacked must file its next Transition Progress Report with the FCC by October 10, 2018. The Report must detail the progress a station has made in constructing facilities on its newly-assigned channel and in terminating operations on its current channel during the…
The next Quarterly Issues/Programs List (“Quarterly List”) must be placed in stations’ public inspection files by October 10, 2018, reflecting information for the months of July, August, and September 2018. Content of the Quarterly List The FCC requires each broadcast station to air a reasonable amount of programming responsive to significant…
This Pillsbury Broadcast Station Advisory is directed to radio and television stations in the areas noted above, and highlights upcoming deadlines for compliance with the FCC’s EEO Rule. October 1, 2018 is the deadline for broadcast stations licensed to communities in Alaska, Florida, Hawaii, Iowa, Missouri, Oregon, Washington, American Samoa,…
The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), in coordination with the FCC, announced this morning that the National Emergency Alert System (EAS) and Wireless Emergency Alerts (WEA) tests scheduled for this Thursday, September 20, have been postponed due to “ongoing response efforts to Hurricane Florence.” Instead, the tests will be conducted…
Whether tracking a developing storm so the public can prepare, or disseminating evacuation orders and alerts, broadcasters continue to serve as the bedrock of the nation’s warning system in emergencies. As Hurricane Florence approaches the East Coast, TV and radio stations are hurrying to make sure they are in position…
Many thought the broadcast incentive auction was the most complex task ever undertaken by the FCC, but the ten-phase spectrum repack following the auction is running a close second. The TV stations being repacked in Phase 1 are serving as the pioneers of the repack process, and since they must…
The FCC and FEMA have established September 20, 2018 as the date for the next nationwide test of the Emergency Alert System (EAS). The nationwide test is designed to study the effectiveness of the EAS and to monitor the performance of EAS participants. The Wireless Emergency Alert (WEA) system will…