April 2009
The FCC has released a new Federal Register notice indicating that the increase in certain FCC application fees will become effective April 28, 2009.
A PDF version of this entire article can be found at Reminder: Increased FCC Application Filing Fees Will Become Effective April 28, 2009
January 2009
The following deadlines are based on information known by us as of the date hereof, may or may not apply to a particular broadcaster, are for general informational purposes only, and should be double-checked for currency close to each pertinent date/deadline. Actions by the FCC, Congress, or the courts could affect any of these deadlines by, for example, eliminating a particular reporting/filing obligation altogether or modifying the form used, content, deadline, fee, or manner of reporting/filing, such as requiring the posting of a report on the Internet or filing a report with the FCC electronically. It should also be noted that any FCC filing date which falls on a weekend or federal holiday, as a general rule, causes the filing deadline to be shifted to the immediately following business day. Furthermore, the listing of deadlines is not intended to be complete or exhaustive of all regulatory and non-regulatory deadlines that may apply to a given broadcaster year-to-year. Accordingly, broadcasters should seek the advice of communications counsel in each instance to assure timely and proper filing. This edition of our annual “Broadcasters’ Calendar” supercedes all prior editions and accordingly any prior editions should no longer be used.
November 2008
Reminder: The National Telecommunications and Information Administration has set aside $1,000 per eligible low-power television station, for the purchase of digital-to-analog conversion devices. Individual grants come from a Federal fund limited to $1 million and are awarded on a first-come-first-serve basis until February 17, 2009.
9/4/2008
On September 2, 2008, the FCC released a Public Notice Warning Regulatory Fee Filing Payers About Potential “Phishing.”
8/26/2008
The Commission has announced that full payment of all applicable Regulatory Fees for Fiscal Year 2008 must be received no later than September 25, 2008.
8/5/2008
In July 2008, the FCC released the latest edition of “The Public and Broadcasting” manual, its second update in three months.
7/15/2008
Yesterday, the FCC announced that, effective as of August 4, 2008, it was lifting the freeze on the filing of two types of Class A television station applications: (i) ones to expand authorized coverage through facilities modifications, and (ii) ones to substitute channels where current channels are expected to be displaced.
May 2008
The Commission has announced its proposed annual regulatory fees for Fiscal Year 2008. The final fee amounts and filing deadline will be announced in a Public Notice following consideration of Comments to be filed by May 30, 2008 and Reply Comments to be filed by June 6, 2008.
4/25/2008
On April 24, 2008, the FCC released the latest edition of its “The Public and Broadcasting” manual. Please remove the 1999 version of the manual from your public inspection file and replace it with the new 2008 edition.
January 2008
The following deadlines are based on information known by us as of the date hereof, may or may not apply to a particular broadcaster, are for general informational purposes only, and should be double-checked for currency close to each pertinent date/deadline. The reason is that actions by the FCC, Congress, or the courts could affect any of these deadlines by, for example, eliminating a particular reporting/filing obligation altogether or modifying the form used, content, deadline, fee, or manner of reporting/filing, such as requiring the posting of a report on the Internet or filing a report with the FCC electronically. It should also be noted that any FCC filing date which falls on a weekend or federal holiday, as a general rule, causes the filing deadline to be shifted to the immediately following business day. Accordingly, broadcasters should seek the advice of communications counsel in each instance to assure timely and proper filing. With respect to the tax-related deadlines identified herein, broadcasters should consult with their tax advisors. This edition of our annual “Broadcasters’ Calendar” supercedes all prior editions and accordingly any prior editions should no longer be used.
This material is not intended to constitute a complete analysis of all tax considerations. Internal Revenue Service regulations generally provide that, for the purpose of avoiding United States federal tax penalties, a taxpayer may rely only on formal written opinions meeting specific regulatory requirements. This material does not meet those requirements. Accordingly, this material was not intended or written to be used, and a taxpayer cannot use it, for the purpose of avoiding United States federal or other tax penalties or of promoting, marketing or recommending to another party any tax-related matters.
Comm Law Center