November Regulatory Dates for Broadcasters – Including Broadcast Ownership, ATSC, Main Studio, EAS, TV Improvements and FM Translator Settlements

While November is an odd numbered month in which there are no deadlines for EEO Public File or Mid-term Reports, and it is not the beginning of a new calendar quarter when Quarterly Issues Programs Reports are added to a station’s public file and Quarterly Children’s Television Reports are filed with the FCC, that does not mean that there are no dates of interest to broadcasters this month. In fact, there are numerous policy issues that will be decided this month, and filing dates both for television broadcasters and AM broadcasters seeking FM translators for their stations.

The biggest policy dates will be November 16, when the FCC holds its monthly meeting, with two major broadcast items on the agenda. As we wrote here, the FCC will be considering both the adoption of ATSC 3.0, the new television transmission system promising better mobile reception and more data transmission capabilities for TV stations, and the reconsideration of last year’s decision on the ownership rules, where the FCC is expected to repeal the broadcast-newspaper and radio television cross-ownership rules and loosen the restrictions on TV duopolies in markets where such duopolies cannot now be formed.

Last month’s decision by the FCC to abolish the main studio rule is likely to be published in the Federal Register this month. That decision (see our articles here and here) becomes effective 30 days after its publication in the Federal Register so, while it will not take effect this month, we can expect some broadcasters to initiate their plans to immediately take advantage of this significant rule change when the effective date arrives.

There are also filing deadlines this month for stations looking to improve their technical coverage of their markets. TV stations that were repacked following the incentive auction have until tomorrow, November 2, to file minor change applications to increase power on the new channels to which they were assigned by the Commission (see our article here). Soon thereafter, the FCC will open a first-come, first serve window for other television stations not repacked by the FCC to file minor change applications (see our article here).

For AM stations that filed FM translator applications that ended up being in conflict with other applications filed in the window that was opened this summer for such filings, November 29 is the deadline for submitting technical solutions or other settlements that resolve these mutual exclusive situations. See our article here for more information.

Also in November is the date for comments on the FCC’s proposal to abolish the requirement that some licensees maintain paper copies of the FCC rulebook. This is one of the FCC’s first proposals stemming from its Modernization of Media Initiative. Comments are due on November 13, with replies due November 27. See our article here.

Finally, November 3 is the date by which broadcasters are supposed to report to their State Emergency Coordinating Committees on whether they broadcast multilingual EAS messages on their stations and whether they plan to do so in the future. See our article here. This process is being implemented in different ways in different states – so you should check with your state SECC to see how it is being handled where your stations are located.

As in any other month, there are other deadlines, including station specific ones, which you should be aware of and discuss with your own counsel.