FCC activates license search application

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If you’re interested in doing research on companies and individuals who hold FCC licenses, there is a new tool available at the FCC website: FCC License View, available at http://fcc.gov/licenseview, provides access to the Commission’s five license databases.


According to the FCC, the application allows users to produce “digest snapshots of FCC license management data that are at the core of the agency’s mission. At launch, FCC License View lets users explore over 3 million total licenses, 2 million of which are active.”

“This data innovation is a key step toward opening the agency and its resources to the public,” said FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski. “With the launch of FCC License View, the agency has made a bold stride towards unlocking the complex — but significant — world of FCC license management data.”

“The launch of FCC License View is a clear indication that the FCC is leveraging valuable experience inside the agency and converting that into valuable assets for the public to use,” added Greg Elin, Chief Data Officer at the FCC. “This tool improves public access to these databases, while giving citizen developers and government agencies — including the FCC — a powerful way to make their work more efficient, effective, and transparent.”

RBR-TVBR observation: Somebody may be interested in this tool, but we aren’t among them. Just for kicks, we looked up Clear Channel, but got only 500-some hits, and the ones we saw were mostly auxiliary facilities (we didn’t bother scrolling very far into it, since it was obviously incomplete anyway).

It would be interesting to call up an entire group, but many broadcast stations have official licensee names that do not include the group owner’s name. In fact, many Clear Channel stations still have Capstar somewhere on the license. But maybe others will enjoy the new FCC feature.