[This is not intended to be an exhaustive list of all FCC filing deadlines and effective dates, but is intended to provide useful information regarding some of the key deadlines or effective dates that are upcoming or have recently occurred]
January 1, 2010: Deadline for Closed Captioning All New, Nonexempt Spanish Language Video Programming – Deadline for captioning all new, nonexempt Spanish language video programming. Please see our Client Memo on Closed Captioning.
January 1, 2010: Digital Sound Recording Per Performance Rate Increase Effective – Broadcasters streaming music on the internet are reminded that a rate increase under the NAB/SoundExchange Settlement takes effect each year on January 1. Please see our Client Memo regarding the rate increase and the new 2010 Monthly Statement of Account Forms.
January 10, 2010: Filing Deadline for Q4 Children’s Television Programming Report for Commercial Broadcasters – Filing deadline for Q4 FCC Form 398, the Children’s Television Programming Report for all commercial television broadcast stations. Although the filing deadline moved to Monday January 11 because January 10 fell on a Sunday, copies of the completed report should have been placed in each station’s public inspection file by Sunday, January 10. Please see our Client Memo on Q4 Deadlines.
January 10, 2010: Deadline for Placing Q4 Documentation Verifying Compliance with Children’s Advertising Limits in Station Public Inspection Files for All Commercial Television Broadcasters – Deadline for placing Q4 documentation verifying compliance with children’s advertising limits in each station’s public inspection file for all commercial television broadcast stations. Please see our Client Memo on Q4 Deadlines.
January 10, 2010: Deadline for Placing Q4 Issues & Programs List in Station Public Inspection Files for All Commercial and Noncommercial Television Broadcasters – Deadline for placing Q4 Issues & Programs List in each station’s public inspection file for all commercial and noncommercial television broadcast stations. Please see our Client Memo on Q4 Deadlines and our Client Memo on the Q4 list of issue-responsive programming.
January 11, 2010: Filing Deadline for Biennial Ownership Reports on New FCC Form 323 [Postponed from December 15, 2009] – Superseded uniform filing deadline for revised FCC Form 323 (Biennial) Ownership Report for Commercial Broadcast Stations (all full power, AM, FM, and TV stations; LPTV and Class A stations; and entities with attributable interests in them). Please see the Public Notice released November 23, 2009.
* Note: This deadline has been extended to a date yet to be determined. The FCC has temporarily suspended the ability to start new biennial Form 323s during this interim suspension period but will allow filers to complete and file forms already started if they wish to do so. The FCC will release a Public Notice with a new extended filing deadline, which will be at least 90 days after the release of the Public Notice. Please see the FCC Order released December 23, 2009.
January 25, 2010: Comments Due on Empowering Parents and Protecting Children in an Evolving Media Landscape Proceeding – [MB Docket No. 09-194] Please see our Client Memo on this proceeding.
* Note: This deadline has been extended to February 24, 2010. See 75 Fed. Reg. 3693.
January 31, 2010: Minimum Annual Fee Payment and Annual Statement of Account Due to SoundExchange – Minimum annual fee payment and annual statement of account form was due for broadcasters and other webcasters streaming music on the internet. Please see our Client Memo regarding this deadline and the new 2010 Statement of Account Forms.
January 31, 2010: Small Broadcasters’ Annual Notice of Election Due to SoundExchange – Annual notice of election form was due for broadcasters streaming music who have elected to be treated as “Small Broadcasters” under the NAB/SoundExchange Settlement. Please see our Client Memo regarding this deadline and the new 2010 Notice of Election Form.
February 1, 2010: Deadline for Placing Annual EEO Public File Reports in Station Public Inspection Files – Deadline for annual EEO Public File Reports for television and radio broadcast stations in Arkansas, Kansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Nebraska, New Jersey, New York, and Oklahoma.
February 1, 2010: Filing Deadline for EEO Mid-Term Reports – Filing deadline for FCC Form 397 Broadcast Mid-Term Report for television broadcast stations in Kansas, Nebraska, and Oklahoma; and radio broadcast stations in New Jersey and New York. Copies of the completed report should have been placed in each station’s public inspection file by February 1.
February 1, 2010: Filing Deadline for Biennial Ownership Reports for Noncommercial Broadcasters – Filing deadline for FCC Form 323-E Ownership Report for Noncommercial Educational Broadcast Station for noncommercial television broadcast stations in Kansas, Nebraska, and Oklahoma; and noncommercial radio broadcast stations in Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, New Jersey, and New York.
February 24, 2010: Comments Due on Empowering Parents and Protecting Children in an Evolving Media Landscape Proceeding – [MB Docket No. 09-194] Please see our Client Memo on this proceeding. Should you wish to participate in this proceeding or have any questions, please contact your primary attorney in this office.
March 1, 2010: Strict New State Data Security Regulations Effective – Strict new state data security regulations become effective, requiring new security policies and procedures for entities collecting and using the sensitive personal information of Massachusetts-based consumers, customers, listeners, and employees. Clients are reminded that doing business with Massachusetts residents, in person or over the internet, can trigger these strict data security requirements. Please see our Client Memo regarding these new regulations.
March 1, 2010: Comments Due on Proposal for Nationwide Testing of Emergency Alert System – [EB Docket No. 04-296] Please see our Client Memo on this proceeding. Should you wish to participate in this proceeding or have any questions concerning the EAS or the proposed national testing, please contact your primary attorney in this office.
March 26, 2010: Reply Comments Due on Empowering Parents and Protecting Children in an Evolving Media Landscape Proceeding – [MB Docket No. 09-194] Please see our Client Memo on this proceeding. Should you wish to participate in this proceeding or have any questions, please contact your primary attorney in this office.
March 30, 2010: Reply Comments Due on Proposal for Nationwide Testing of Emergency Alert System – [EB Docket No. 04-296] Please see our Client Memo on this proceeding. Should you wish to participate in this proceeding or have any questions concerning the EAS or the proposed national testing, please contact your primary attorney in this office.
April 1, 2010: Deadline for Placing Annual EEO Public File Reports in Station Public Inspection Files – Deadline for annual EEO Public File Reports for television and radio broadcast stations in Delaware, Indiana, Kentucky, Pennsylvania, Tennessee and Texas.
April 1, 2010: Filing Deadline for EEO Mid-Term Reports – Filing deadline for FCC Form 397 Broadcast Mid-Term Report for television broadcast stations in Texas; and radio broadcast stations in Delaware and Pennsylvania. Copies of the completed report should be placed in each station’s public inspection file by April 1.
April 1, 2010: Filing Deadline for Biennial Ownership Reports for Noncommercial Broadcasters – Filing deadline for FCC Form 323-E Ownership Report for Noncommercial Educational Broadcast Station for noncommercial television broadcast stations in Texas; and noncommercial radio broadcast stations in Delaware, Indiana, Kentucky, Pennsylvania and Tennessee.
June 1, 2010: Enforcement Deadline for FTC Identity Theft Red Flag Rules – Enforcement of the Federal Trade Commission’s Identity Theft “Red Flag Rules” commences. Please see our Client Memo on this enforcement deadline.
June 1, 2010: Deadline for Placing Annual EEO Public File Reports in Station Public Inspection Files – Deadline for annual EEO Public File Reports for television and radio broadcast stations in Arizona, the District of Columbia, Idaho, Maryland, Michigan, Nevada, New Mexico, Ohio, Utah, Virginia, West Virginia, and Wyoming.
June 1, 2010: Filing Deadline for EEO Mid-Term Reports – Filing deadline for FCC Form 397 Broadcast Mid-Term Report for television broadcast stations in Arizona, Idaho, Nevada, New Mexico, Utah, and Wyoming; there are no Mid-Term Reports due for radio broadcast stations. Copies of the completed report should be placed in each station’s public inspection file by June 1.
June 1, 2010: Filing Deadline for Biennial Ownership Reports for Noncommercial Broadcasters – Filing deadline for FCC Form 323-E Ownership Report for Noncommercial Educational Broadcast Station for noncommercial television broadcast stations in Arizona, the District of Columbia, Idaho, Maryland, Nevada, New Mexico, Utah, Virginia, West Virginia, and Wyoming; and noncommercial radio broadcast stations in Michigan and Ohio.
July 26, 2010: Nationwide Filing Opportunity for LPTV and TV Translator Stations – FCC will begin accepting applications nationwide (without any geographic restriction) for: (i) new digital LPTV and TV translator stations; (ii) major changes to existing analog and digital LPTV and TV translator stations; and (iii) digital companion channels for existing analog LPTV and TV translator stations. Applications will be granted on a first-come, first-served basis. Please see our Client Memo on this filing opportunity for LPTV and TV translator stations and our Client Memo on the postponement of the original January 2010 deadline.
August 1, 2010: Deadline for Placing Annual EEO Public File Reports in Station Public Inspection Files – Deadline for annual EEO Public File Reports for television and radio broadcast stations in California, Illinois, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Wisconsin.
August 1, 2010: Filing Deadline for EEO Mid-Term Reports – Filing deadline for FCC Form 397 Broadcast Mid-Term Report for television broadcast stations in California; there are no Mid-Term Reports due for radio broadcast stations. Copies of the completed report should be placed in each station’s public inspection file by August 1. Because August 1 falls on a Sunday, the completed report can be filed with the FCC as late as Monday, August 2, 2010.
August 2, 2010: Filing Deadline for Biennial Ownership Reports for Noncommercial Broadcasters – Filing deadline for FCC Form 323-E Ownership Report for Noncommercial Educational Broadcast Station for noncommercial television broadcast stations in California, North Carolina, and South Carolina; and noncommercial radio broadcast stations in Illinois and Wisconsin. Because August 1 falls on a Sunday, the completed report can be filed with the FCC as late as Monday, August 2, 2010.
