Renewal of licenses for commercial and noncommercial TV broadcast stations, Class A TV broadcast stations, TV translators and Low Power TV broadcast (LPTV) stations are scheduled to expire between 2012 and 2014. Each TV, Class A TV, TV translator and LPTV station must electronically file an application for license renewal (FCC Form 303-S) four months prior to the expiration date of the station's license, in accordance with the schedule set forth below. In addition, LPTV and TV translator stations co-owned with primary television stations in the same state that broadcast the same signal as the primary television station are permitted to file for license renewal on a single application form (FCC Form 303-S) with the primary television station. TV, Class A TV, and LPTV stations must also file a Broadcast Equal Employment Opportunity Program Report (FCC Form 396) at the same time. Translator stations are exempt from filing the Broadcast Equal Employment Opportunity Program Report. Noncommercial educational TV stations must additionally file an ownership report on FCC Form 323-E at the same time. Related auxiliary stations are renewed with the main station license and are not required to file a separate renewal application.
Contents
Recent and Important Renewal UpdatesImportant: Verify the Station's Mailing and E-mail Addresses
The Station's Local Public Inspection File
License Filing Renewal Dates
License Renewal Process -- Broadcast Announcements (47 CFR Section 73.3580)
Timing of Announcements
Sample Pre-filing Announcement
Sample Post-filing Announcement
License Renewal Application Filing Fees
License Renewal Process -- Electronic Filing Is Mandatory
Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) Filing Requirements
Petitions to Deny/Informal Objections
Mailing Addresses for Petitions to Deny, Informal Objections, and Comments
Additional Information about Television Broadcast Station Renewals
Items under this heading will be added or updated as needed. Check here for new or updated information.
|
Non-Discrimination in
Broadcast Advertising: Broadcasters Are Reminded that They Must Certify
in Broadcast Applications that Their Advertising Contracts Do Not Discriminate,
Enforcement Advisory No. 2011-06 (Public Notice), DA 11-500,
released March 22, 2011
[ PDF | Word ]. News Release, released March 22, 2011 [ PDF | Word ].
Public Notice Explains Renewal Procedures and Form Changes for 2012. See Public Notice, Media Bureau Announces Revisions to License Renewal Procedures and Form 303-S License Renewal Application; Television License Renewal Filings Accepted Beginning May 1, 2012, DA 12-380, released March 12, 2012 [ PDF | Word ]. 2012 - 2015 Dates for Upcoming Television Broadcast Station Renewal Cycle |
A valid mailing address and a valid e-mail address for each station is essential for a smooth renewal process. Broadcast licensees should take the time NOW to verify that the station address is correct in the FCC's files, and make any necessary corrections. Please double check the mailing address and e-mail address on the license renewal application before electronically filing the application.
Full service television stations, Low Power TV and Class A stations, and interested persons may check the Commission's address-of-record by using the Mailing Address Query. TV Translator stations may verify the mailing address through the "Station Information" link in CDBS Public Access.
Corrections of mailing addresses may be made as a CDBS informal filing. Please see Informal Filings - Frequently Asked Questions for the procedure for submitting these changes.
During the license renewal process, interested parties may ask to review the Television station's local public inspection file. Broadcast licensees should take time now to ensure that the public file fulfills the requirements of 47 CFR Section 73.3526 (commercial stations) or 47 CFR Section 73.3527 (noncommercial educational stations). Licensees should establish procedures to respond promptly to all requests to review the station's public inspection file during regular business hours. Information on local public file and public access requirements is available on the Enforcement Bureau's Public Inspection File page, and in The Public and Broadcasting (revised July 2008).
Public inspection file requirements do not apply to TV Translator stations. Low Power TV stations are exempt from the local public file requirement, but must continue to maintain a political file.
The following lists indicate license renewal application filing dates, license expiration dates, and Petition to Deny filing dates. Renewal dates are based on the location (state, territory, etc.) of the station's community of license, not the station's transmitter site location. Dates for television broadcast station renewals fall between 2012 and 2015, inclusive. (Lists will open in a PDF file in a new browser tab or window.)
Television broadcast renewal states by DATE: [ PDF | Word ]
License renewal applications (FCC Form
Operating Television Stations. Announcements must be made over the TV station according to the following schedule. TV Translators are exempt from announcement requirements. See 47 CFR Section 73.3580.
| If the Station's License Expires in: | Make Pre-Filing Announcements on the 1st and 16th Day of the Previous | File the Form |
Make Post-Filing Announcements on the 1st and 16th Day of |
|---|---|---|---|
| February | August & September | October | October, November, & December |
| April | October & November | December | December, January, & February |
| June | December & January | February | February, March, & April |
| August | February & March | April | April, May, & June |
| October | April & May | June | June, July, & August |
| December | June & July | August | August, September, & October |
| Timing of Pre-Filing Renewal Announcements for Television Broadcast Stations
Commercial and |
|
| Low power TV stations locally originating programming |
|
| See 47 CFR Section 73.3580(d)(4)(i)(B). *Noncommercial educational stations need not broadcast the announcement during any month in which the station does not operate. See 47 CFR Section 73.3580(d)(4)(i)(B)(3). | |
| Timing of Post-Filing Renewal Announcements for Television Broadcast Stations
Commercial and **Noncommercial |
|
| Low power TV stations locally originating programming |
|
| See 47 CFR Section 73.3580(d)(4)(ii)(B). **Noncommercial educational stations need not broadcast the announcements during any month in which the station does not operate. In such instances noncommercial educational stations shall meet the requirements as specified in 47 CFR Section 73.3580(d)(4)(ii)(B)(3). | |
Silent stations must publish the text of the Post-Filing Announcement in a newspaper of general circulation in the community or area served on the same scheduled dates as indicated above for operating stations. A copy of the published announcement should be placed in the station's local public inspection file.
TV Translators not being renewed with the primary station being rebroadcast must publish the text of the Post-Filing Announcement at least once immediately after the filing of the license renewal application. The notice should be published in a daily, weekly, or biweekly newspaper of general circulation in the community or area served. If there is no newspaper the licensee should post the required notice in a public place and keep a copy of the local public notice for reference.
| Sample PRE-Filing Announcement |
| The following is a sample of the text of a pre-filing announcement. (You may cut and paste this text.)
Stations broadcasting in a foreign language should broadcast the announcements in that language. |
On _________________________ (date of the last renewal grant), ___________ (station's call letters) was granted a license by the Federal Communications Commission to serve the public interest as a public trustee until __________________________ (license expiration date). Our license will expire on _________________ (date). We must file an application for license renewal with the FCC on _________________ (date, four months prior to the expiration date). When filed, a copy of this application will be available for inspection during regular business hours. It contains information concerning the station's performance over the last ________________________ (period of time covered by the application, e.g. 8 years).
Individuals who wish to advise the FCC of facts relating to our renewal application, and to whether this station has operated
in the public interest, should file comments and petitions with the FCC by _________________ (date, first day of the full calendar month
prior to the month of license expiration). Further information concerning the FCC's broadcast license renewal process is available at |
| Sample POST-Filing Announcement |
| The following is a sample of the text of a post-filing announcement. (You may cut and paste this text.)
Stations broadcasting in a foreign language should broadcast the announcements in that language. Stations that
cannot broadcast this announcement because they are off the air should publish the text of the announcement in a daily, weekly,
or bi-weekly newspaper of general circulation in the community to be served. |
On _________________________ (date of the last renewal grant), ___________ (station's call letters) was granted a license by the Federal Communications Commission to serve the public interest as a public trustee until __________________________ (license expiration date). Our license will expire on _________________ (date). We filed an application for license renewal with the FCC on _________________ (date). A copy of this application is available for inspection during our regular business hours. It contains information concerning the station's performance over the last ________________________ (period of time covered by the application, e.g. 8 years).
Individuals who wish to advise the FCC of facts relating to our renewal application, and to whether this station has operated
in the public interest, should file comments and petitions with the FCC by _________________ (date, first day of the full calendar month
prior to the month of license expiration). Further information concerning the FCC's broadcast license renewal process is available at |
Each commercial licensee must submit a filing fee and Form 159 with its license renewal application. See the Application Processing Fees page for additional information concerning fees.
Licensees MUST use the CDBS Electronic Filing System to prepare and file the Form 303-S Application for Renewal of Broadcast Station License. The user's guide for the electronic filing system may provide assistance with the filing process.
A copy of the license renewal application must be placed in the station's local public inspection file.
Each licensee must familiarize itself with these rules and reporting requirements prior to preparation of the license renewal application. Information about the Commission's EEO requirements for broadcast stations is available on the Media Bureau's EEO page.
The EEO rules require that all license renewal applicants (except TV Translator applicants) submit FCC Form 396 (Broadcast Equal Employment Opportunity Program Report) in advance of or with the license renewal application. To Media Bureau Electronic Filing.
All licensees (except TV Translator licensees) must electronically file the Broadcast
Equal Opportunity Program Report (FCC Form 396) and the license renewal form (Form
NCE License Renewals Must Include FCC Form 323-E. All NCE licensees must electronically file an Ownership Report for Noncommercial Educational Broadcast Stations on FCC Form 323-E. To Media Bureau Electronic Filing.
A Petition to Deny or an informal objection to a television license renewal application may be filed AFTER the filing of the license renewal application. Notices of the filing of license renewal applications will be posted in the Broadcast Applications public notices. CDBS on the FCC's website will also contain records pertaining to the license renewal application.
Petitions to Deny are considered to be timely filed with the Commission only upon receipt by the Commission at the address listed below, NOT when they are mailed or postmarked. Petitions to Deny may not be sent via e-mail.
The last day for filing Petitions to Deny is ONE MONTH PRIOR to the license expiration date:
- Example. The expiration date for a station in Alabama is April 1, 2013. The LAST DAY that a Petition to Deny may be timely filed is March 1, 2013.
- Exception. If the LAST DAY falls on a Saturday, Sunday, holiday, or on a date that the Commission is closed for business, the LAST DAY is extended to the first full business day thereafter. For example, the expiration date for a station in Maryland is October 1, 2012. September 1, 2012, is a Saturday and September 3, 2012, is a holiday. In this instance, the LAST DAY that a Petition to Deny may be filed is September 4, 2012.
- Exception. The deadline for filing Petitions to Deny against late-filed license renewal applications is the 90th day after the FCC gives public notice that it has accepted that application for filing. If the 90th day falls on a Saturday, Sunday, holiday, or on a date that the Commission is closed for business, the LAST DAY is extended to the first full business day thereafter.
Petition to Deny Requirements. First, to file a Petition to Deny, a person must be a "party in interest" and have "standing." That means, generally, that the person must have more than a passing interest in the station. He or she must be a regular listener or have some other contact with the station that gives the petitioner a real stake in the outcome of the renewal process. A petition must be supported by an affidavit of a person or persons with personal knowledge of the allegations of fact contained in the petition. Additionally, a Petition to Deny a license renewal must be "timely" filed at least one month prior to the license expiration date, as explained in the previous paragraph. Finally, the petition must contain a certification that a copy of the petition was mailed to the station. Failure to include the certification that a copy was mailed to the station and the affidavit of personal knowledge will result in dismissal of the Petition to Deny.
Procedure for Filing Informal Objections. A person or entity opposing the grant of a station's license renewal application may file an informal objection against the license renewal application at any time prior to staff action on the license renewal application. An informal objection is less formal than a Petition to Deny, but some requirements still apply. It may take the form of a letter signed by the objector and mailed or delivered to one of the FCC addresses above. An informal objection need not contain the affidavit required for a Petition to Deny. It should, however, contain sufficient information to establish any violation alleged. Additionally, an informal objection not received by the time the station's license renewal is granted will not be considered.
Filing Positive Comments. Affirmative comments concerning a licensee's service during the prior license term should be filed by the Petition to Deny deadline through the Office of the Secretary at the addresses listed in the next section.
When filing Petitions to Deny, informal objections, or positive comments, please include an original and two copies of any filing.
As indicated above, an additional copy of any filing may need to be served on (mailed to) the station licensee via a separate mailing.
Send the documents to the locations listed herein: Addresses for filing documents with the FCC.
Additional Suggestions for Filers. To help the staff expeditiously associate a Petition to Deny, informal objection, or positive comment with the proper license renewal application, the pleading should prominently identify:
- The station's call sign;
- The station's facility ID number;
- The license renewal application file number.
This information, which is available on CDBS through the Commission's website, should be listed on the first page of the submission. The filing must also state whether it is a Petition to Deny, Informal Objection, or a comment. If a cover sheet is used, it should be attached to each copy of the pleading. Failure to include this information may cause delays in associating a pleading with a license renewal application.
For more information about this issue, please call the Video Division at (202) 418-1600.
