August Radio License Renewal and Announcements Reminder: IL & WI

July 8, 2020

Radio stations licensed in Illinois and Wisconsin must file license renewal applications and begin airing post-filing announcements on their main analog streams and any digital streams on Monday, August 3, 2020. Follow-up announcements should be aired on August 16, 2020; September 1, 2020; September 16, 2020; October 1, 2020; and October 16, 2020. Pre-filing announcements are no longer required.

For further details about post-filing announcements, including required time slots, please consult Section II of the Wiley Radio Primer. The Primer also contains a sample post-filing announcement template (Attachment B). Prior to filing Form 303-S applications for renewal, stations must submit a Schedule 396 Broadcast EEO Program Report. Information regarding filing Form 303-S applications can be found in Section III of the Primer and Attachment F, and information pertaining to filing the Schedule 396 Report can be found in Section IV and Attachment G.

Additionally, within seven days of broadcasting the final post-filing announcement, stations must upload statements certifying compliance with the Federal Communications Commission’s (FCC’s or Commission’s) post-filing notice requirements in their respective online public inspection files. A sample certification form is available in the Primer under Attachment C. Finally, the FCC requires that FM Translator stations publish post-filing notices at least once immediately following the filing of the license renewal application. The notices should be made in daily, weekly, or biweekly newspapers published or having circulation in the communities or areas served. A sample notice is in Attachment D. We recommend uploading a certification of this publication to the station’s online public inspection file. A sample can be found in Attachment E.

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If you have any questions regarding the license renewal application or the renewal process, or concerns about your previous FCC filings or record-keeping obligations, please contact the Wiley attorney who regularly handles your station matters, or an attorney listed on this alert.