As noted by the communications law attorneys at Fletcher Heald & Hildreth on its CommLawBlog.com website, FCC License renewal applications and associated EEO Program Reports are due on or before Friday, April 1 for radio licensees located in a pair of East Coast states.
AM and FM licensees in Delaware and Pennsylvania must file renewals regardless of commercial or noncommercial status in the FCC’s licensing Management System (LMS).
These licensees must include Schedule 396, the Broadcast Equal Employment Opportunity Program Report, in their renewal application.
The FCC also requires radio licensees to provide local post-filing public notice of their renewal applications. Pre-filing announcements are no longer required.
Listeners and viewers may review the station’s filing and file comments regarding renewal applications.
As Fletcher Heald & Hildreth has noted, “a major focus” of the FCC’s review is a thorough inspection of the station’s on-line public inspection file (OPIF). ‘For that reason, we urge all stations with upcoming license renewals to begin a thorough review of their OPIFs. Any incomplete filings or late filings in the station’s OPIF will be disclosed in the renewal application.”
