The FCC’s Media Bureau is reminding U.S. broadcasters that this is an odd-numbered year, so they’ll have to file their biennial ownership reports this fall.
It issued a public notice reminding them that the window for filing Form 323 or 323-E will open in October.
This applies to licensees of commercial and noncommercial AM and FM radio stations, full-power television, Class A TV and low-power TV stations.
“Reporting such information has long been a fundamental obligation of broadcast licensees,” the Media Bureau said in a public notice.
“The accurate, and timely, filing of ownership information is critical to ensuring that the public knows who owns, operates, and controls broadcast stations. Additionally, accurate and timely ownership information is crucial to an understanding of the broadcast industry as a whole, including an understanding of the diversity and multiplicity of owners.”
Radio and TV stations are in the midst of the license renewal process. The license renewal application, Form 2100, Schedule 303-S, requires broadcast licensees to certify compliance with the biennial ownership reporting requirement.
“We remind licensees that, as part of its review of license renewal applications, Bureau staff will be reviewing whether licensees have filed their 2019 and 2021 biennial ownership information and whether they have certified truthfully concerning compliance with the filing requirement.”
Stations also must maintain a current ownership report in their Online Public Inspection Files.
The bureau encouraged licensees to prepare in advance for the window that opens Oct. 1 “and to review carefully their compliance with the filing requirement as they prepare and file their license renewal applications.”
