public notice

On Friday, the FCC announced that the rule changes from MB Docket 17-264, which dealt with public notices was published in the Federal Register.  As most of the rule changes require changes to forms and/or information collection, they have been referred to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for their approval in accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act and therefore, will not enacted until later this year. 

The FCC recently adopted the Second Report and Order in MB Docket 17-264 which makes substantial changes to the rules related to public notices that broadcast applicants must make in accordance with Section 311(a) of the Communications Act.   For FM translator and FM booster licenses, this normally involved taking out advertising in the newspaper.  The FCC has now realized that in this modern era

Prior to the May open meeting, the Federal Communications Commission has adopted the broadcast public notice Report and Order (MB Dockets 17-265, 17-105, 05-6).  In the Order, the FCC made some monumental changes on how broadcasters comply with Section 311(a) of the Communications Act which requires all broadcast applicants to make a public notice of their application.  This law was passed by Congress in the early 60s as part of a suite of leg

Late Monday evening, REC Networks wrote a letter to the attention of the FCC Media Bureau and the Media Advisers for all Commissioners and the Chairman to oppose language in the draft Report and Order for MB Docket 17-264 relating to the requirement in the Communications Act that broadcast stations must make public notice when certain types of applications are filed.

Revised October 3, 2023

In the early 1960s, in the aftermath of the payola scandals in radio and the fixed quiz show scandals in television’s golden era, Congress passed legislation that required broadcasters to be more transparent to the public. At first, many of the laws were very restrictive and burdensome and would get eventually legislated away over time. One portion of the law that has survived is enshrined in Section 311(a) of the Communications Act, which reads: