A Guide To Self Certification Inspections

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Here’s a memo to all radio and television station managers from Ken Benner, a veteran independent Alternative FCC Compliance Certification Inspector: As your state broadcast association solicits your part in its “Alternative Inspection Program,” you may wish to consider this condensation of a recently published column.


Self Certification Inspections

Over the past 22 years, I’ve conducted thousands of radio and TV “Alternative Compliance Certification Inspections.” During this time, I have observed hundreds of stations go silent, or black. I’ve answered dozens upon dozens of phone calls in which the caller inevitably asks, “How do I address this item of compliance without calling my $600+ per hour legal counsel?”

Most calls are from stations I have inspected and left my business card with, offering them to call me with any question for which I never charge to answer.

Lately, a most-common question from these stations has been, “How can I self-certify my station to be compliant should the dreaded official FCC inspector show up with his fine-producing checklist in hand, with fines starting typically at $10,000?”

Here’s how: For less than half the charge most state broadcaster associations charge for a single station inspection (in most instances, $250), you can do the following:

  • Obtain a copy of the NAB “Legal Guide to Broadcast Law and Regulations.”
  • Obtain a copy of  the “SBE Broadcast Engineering Handbook.”
  • Hop on the internet and download from www.fcc.gov the self-inspection checklist(s) appropriate for your station(s). There are six such checklists: AM, FM, TV and three shorter ones for translators.

You now have all you need to solve 96.5% of any questions needed to be fully FCC compliant.

The remaining 3.5% can easily be handled with a simple phone call to one of the FCC experts who will be glad to help you.

Thus, your your final item to down load is the “FCC Expert List” — a directory of helpful individuals at the Commission who can answer any question without charging you a minimum $250 to pick up the phone.

Some of RBR+TVBR’s readers may frown upon finding this column, available to all RBR+TVBR Members.

Just keep this in mind: With what I have just shared with you, my wife Karen and I have prevented well more than $2.5 million in fines, fees, forfeitures and most significantly, a like amount in legal costs.

The current Chairman of the FCC has been vocal about fewer regulatory burdens for radio and TV stations across the U.S.

Consider this an extension of media’ burden reduction now underway at the Commission.


Ken Benner is also a research analyst for the Coalition for Transparency, Clarification and Simplification of Regulations pertaining to American Broadcasting. He has more than 55 years of experience providing service to the broadcast industry.