Upcoming FCC Dates and Deadlines - November 2018

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The Center for Domestic Preparedness (CDP) will be hosting the 4th Annual Tribal Nations TrainAs 2018 continues to wind down, stations should be aware of two important November dates and related actions in accordance with the Federal Communications Commission (FCC).

 

November 15, 2018 – On-line Public File Transition

WHO:   Licensees of full-service radio and television stations and Class A television stations

 

The FCC set a series of deadlines for different broadcasters to transition to the online public file, but all stations were required to make the transition by March 1, 2018.

 

The FCC released a Public Notice (https://docs.fcc.gov/public/attachments/DA-18-1131A1.pdf) reminding stations that on, the Commission will activate the online public file of any station that has still not transitioned. If the FCC activates a station’s public file, the Commission may take note of the station’s failure to meet the deadline at license renewal time. There may also be consequences for failing to keep the online public file updated with items like annual EEO reports, quarterly issues/programs reports, and political file reports. When the FCC activates an online public file, it will be populated with only documents that have been filed with the Commission and that are automatically uploaded.

 

November 19, 2018 – Submission of Form Three

WHO:   For all Emergency Alert System (EAS) participants

 

Stations must submit Form Three to the FCC before midnight on November 19th. This deadline was extended from November 5, 2018 because of the delay in the nationwide test from hurricanes in September.

 

Form Three can be accessed by going to the EAS Test Reporting System (ETRS) page of the FCC’s website at https://www.fcc.gov/general/eas-test-reporting-system and selecting the link to “Log In”. The purpose of Form Three is for stations to explain any problems your station had with receiving or retransmitting the EAS message. Each station must complete and submit the form with the date, time and source from which it received and transmitted the EAS message. Specifically, stations must submit the following information:

 

(1) Date and Time of Receipt of First Message

(2) Language(s) of EAS Message Receipt

(3) Date and Time of Retransmission of EAS Test Message

(4) Language(s) of EAS Message Retransmission

(5) From which source did the facility receive the EAS Test Message?

(6) Were any issues with the receipt of the EAS Test Message?

(7) Were any issues with the transmission of the EAS Test Message?