The FCC wants stations to remember the importance of filing their biennial ownership reports on FCC Form 323 or 323-E, as required by the Commission’s rules.
Licensees of AM and FM radio stations must file biennial ownership reports with the Commission in odd-numbered years. Accordingly, the next filing window for biennial ownership reports currently is scheduled to open October 1st of this year.
The ownership information ensures the public knows who owns, operates, and controls broadcast stations. It also helps get an understanding of the diversity and multiplicity of owners.
Currently, television and radio stations are in the midst of the periodic license renewal process by which they seek Commission approval to continue broadcasting and serving their local communities for another license term. The Commission’s broadcast license renewal application, FCC Form 2100, Schedule 303-S, requires broadcast licensees to certify compliance with the biennial ownership reporting requirement.
The FCC wants to remind stations that, as part of its review of license renewal applications, staff will be reviewing whether licensees have filed their 2019 and 2021 biennial ownership information and whether they have certified truthfully concerning compliance with the filing requirement. Commission staff may pursue actions against licensees that fail to file their biennial ownership reports, including enforcement actions against any that make a false certification on FCC Form 2100, Schedule 303-S regarding the filing of such reports.
