The folks at Womble Carlyle Sandridge & Rice have two reminders for our readers: First, the biennial FCC ownership report is due December 1. We strongly advise proceeding at this time rather than risking delay as the deadline approaches. Second, all reports of the recent November 9 nationwide Emergency Alert System test must be completed and filed by December 27. A separate set of three reports must be filed online by every main, full-power broadcast station and cable head-end. (Reporting by other stations, such as translators and boosters, is optional and can be included in the third form.) The first form requires identifying information on facilities and EAS equipment, the second asks if the alert had been received and, if so, whether the alert was sent to a downstream station, and the third requests details concerning the success or failure of the alert. The FCC has emphasized repeatedly that the purpose of the reporting is not to penalize stations for failures but rather to obtain information that will help improve the system’s future performance.
—If you have any questions, contact Peter Gutmann or any member of the firm’s Communications Law Group.
