Ancillary/Supplementary Services Reports Must Be Filed by December 1, 2014 for All Digital Commercial and Noncommercial Full Power Television Stations and by All Digital Class A, Low Power, and TV Translator Stations

By December 1, 2014, each commercial and noncommercial digital television broadcast station must file the annual DTV Ancillary/Supplementary Services Report, FCC Form 317, stating whether the station provided ancillary or supplementary digital services at any time between October 1, 2013 and September 30, 2014. Any station that provided ancillary or supplementary services during this period must also remit to the FCC an amount equal to 5% of the gross revenue received by the station for the provision of such services, including subscription charges or fees paid or received as a result of any third party compensation.

Ancillary or supplementary services include, but are not limited to, computer software distribution, data transmissions, teletext, interactive materials, paging services, and subscription video. Ancillary and supplementary services do not include free broadcast programming streams. As a consequence, free multicast programming streams are not required to be reported.

Form 317 must be filed electronically through the Media Bureau’s CDBS system. A separate Form 317 must be submitted for each full power commercial and noncommercial television stationoperated pursuant to an FCC license or permit, including those operated under special temporary authority (“STA”), and by each digital Class A, low power television, and television translator station operating pursuant to an FCC license or an STA.

If you have any questions concerning the preparation and filing of the Annual DTV Ancillary/Supplementary Services Report, or whether fees are due for your station(s), please contact your primary attorney in our office.