FCC Follow Up to Stations that Did Not File Biennial Ownership Reports Last December – Fines to Follow?

The FCC sent out a flurry of reminders to broadcasters who did not file their Biennial Ownership Reports by the December 1, 2021 deadline. As we wrote in our reminder in November, these reports were to be filed by licensees of all full-power radio and TV stations (commercial and noncommercial), as well as by LPTV and Class A TV station owners, reporting on their attributable owners as of October 1, 2021.  The notices this week (1/24), from Form323@fcc.gov, went out to stations that had not filed these required reports.  It gives these stations until March 1, 2022 to submit their reports.  The FCC warned back in November that “enforcement action” would follow if stations did not file their reports.  This likely means monetary fines.  These emails seem to be a last warning – so if you did not file your biennial report before the December 1 deadline (whether or not you heard from the FCC this week), get those ownership reports on file now!

David Oxenford is MAB’s Washington Legal Counsel and provides members with answers to their legal questions with the MAB Legal Hotline. Access information here. (Members only access). There are no additional costs for the call; the advice is free as part of your MAB membership.