The Federal Communications Commission's (FCC or Commission) Media Bureau announced that, beginning on October 2, 2023, the Commission will open a window during which licensees of commercial and non-commercial full power television, Class A television, LPTV, AM radio, and FM radio stations must file their required biennial ownership reports. These reports must report the licensee's ownership information as of October 1, 2023 and be filed by December 1, 2023.
To prepare for the filing window, broadcasters should review their most recent biennial or post-consummation ownership reports and identify:
- Any changes to their ownership since those reports were filed; and
- Any new Section 73.3613 contracts entered into since those reports were filed (a list of which should also be included in the station's online public file).
We urge licensees to focus on their ownership reports early in this process – we find that those who wait until just before the December 1 deadline are often frustrated by slowness or other technical difficulties with the FCC's online filing system.
The content of this article is intended to provide a general guide to the subject matter. Specialist advice should be sought about your specific circumstances.
