15 Days Until to Public File Deadline…and Counting

March 1 is the date by which all radio stations need to convert to the online public file hosted by the FCC.  To be ready for this date, broadcasters need to upload documents to that file, and review the documents already uploaded to it by the FCC.  Then they need to turn it on so that its contents are visible to the public.

With this deadline fast approaching, we asked our association’s Washington counsel, David Oxenford of Wilkinson Barker Knauer LLP, five questions about what you should be doing now to get ready for the March 1 deadline.

The questions and his responses follow:

1. What advantages and disadvantages of the online file?

The obvious advantage is that you no longer have to maintain a paper file and give physical access to your studio to anyone who wants to see the file.Of course, by putting the file online, you make the contents of the file available for review by anyone, anywhere.So public interest groups and the FCC itself can use it to assess your compliance – including looking at electronic date stamps on documents to determine whether documents were timely included in the file.Late filings could become a real issue for documents like Quarterly Issues Programs lists which were rarely if ever reviewed by the FCC when they were kept in the paper public file.

The March 1 deadline is fast approaching.If you have not already completed the process and made your file available to the public, start working on that file soon.It will take longer than you think, so don’t run out of time to comply.

With the deadline for having your online file up and activated by March 1, stations should now be actively uploading the required material to the FCC file, and making sure that the information automatically uploaded by the FCC is accurate.  We have already heard reports that the FCC system for hosting the online public file is running slowly, especially during business hours, making uploads difficult.  That is likely to get even worse as we get closer to the March 1 deadline.  So if a station has not started to get its online public file ready, it needs to do so immediately.

For a station that has done nothing, it needs to start by registering to get a password for the FCC’s site that hosts the file.  A station first needs to go to the “Owner Sign In” pagehere.  Using the station’s FRN and password will allow it to log in and set up a password for the public file.  Once that is done, a station uses that password to log into the FCC-hosted platform, here, and start uploading its documents.

The FCC has a good set of Frequently Asked Questions about the online public file process here.

The online public inspection file is required for all stations, commercial and noncommercial, unless the station has obtained a waiver.  Few if any waivers have been granted.  Unless you are a very small station with real provable issues with Internet access, I would not expect waivers at this point, so late in the game.

The FCC has already uploaded many of the required documents, and those documents should be found already in the folders when you first log into the FCC’s hosting platform.  The information already uploaded by the FCC includes pending applications, ownership reports, coverage maps, The Public and Broadcasting procedure manual, and copies of the station license.  Look these over carefully and determine which of the FCC-uploaded documents need to be made available to the public.  The FCC will upload all applications filed for your station going back many years – when only pending applications need to be made visible to the public.  So you need to select which ones will be made available to the public. We have also heard reports that there have been instances where the FCC has not uploaded the most recent license into the authorization folder, so you should check to make sure that what has been uploaded reflects accurately your current operations.

A station will have two sets of documents that will take a significant amount of time to upload.  Any station that is part of a Station Employment Unit with 5 or more full-time employees needs to upload all of its Annual EEO Public Inspection File Reports, back to the start of the current renewal term for the state in which the station is located.  There will likely be 4-6 of these reports, depending on the license term for the state in which the station is located.

In addition, stations need to upload all of their Quarterly Issues Programs lists going back to the start of the license term.  All stations, commercial and noncommercial, should have these reports.  These are the only documents that the FCC requires to show how your station met the needs and interests of its community of license (for more information on these reports, see our article here).  As all of the Quarterly Issues Programs lists going back to the start of the license term need to be uploaded, you are looking at uploading more than 20 of these quarterly reports.  Because there are so many, these will likely take more time than anything else to upload.

Unlike the EEO Reports and Quarterly Issues Programs lists referenced above, the FCC has said that you only need to upload “new” political file documents (i.e. those created after the file goes live to the public).  If you decide not to upload the old political documents, you must maintain all “old” political file documents in a paper public inspection file for two years from the date that the document was created.  If you are thinking of no longer maintaining a main studio open during normal business hours, you may want to consider uploading all political documents now so you no longer need to maintain a paper file available to local residents.

The FCC has published a list of all of the documents that you need to have in your file here.

Retention periods vary for the various documents that need to be in the file.  As noted above, EEO Public Inspection File Reports and Quarterly Issues Programs lists for the entire license term need to remain in the file until your next license renewal is granted.  Applications need to be in the public file only until the application is granted and the grant is final (no longer subject to any appeal or review).  Only the most recent ownership report needs to be in the file.  Documents in the political file need to be maintained for only two years.  Certain contracts and agreements (like time brokerage agreements) need to be maintained for the life of the agreement.  So review the FCC’s rules on the retention of documents.  In the slide deck we prepared here, many of the retention periods are provided.