Federal Communications Commission Washington, D.C. 20554 August 10, 2007 DA 07-3564 Released: August 10, 2007 CERTIFIED MAIL – RETURN RECEIPT REQUESTED Shootingstar Broadcasting of New England, LLC WZMY-TV 11A Street Derry, NH 03038 Re: Shootingstar Broadcasting of New England, LLC WZMY-TV, Derry, NH Facility ID No. 14682 File No. BRCT-20061201AIT Dear Licensee: This refers to your license renewal application for station WZMY-TV, Derry, NH. Under the Commission’s rules implementing the Children’s Television Act of 1990 (CTA),1 each television broadcast station licensee has an obligation, during its license term, to air programming that serves the educational and informational needs of children through both the licensee’s overall programming and programming “specifically designed” to educate and inform children (core programming).2 In Policies and Rules Concerning the Children’s Television Programming, Revision of Programming Policies for Television Broadcast Stations,3 the Commission adopted several public information initiatives to improve the information to the public regarding programming broadcasters air to fulfill their statutory obligation. One of the public information initiatives requires licensees to provide to publishers of program guides, information identifying programming specifically designed to educate and inform children, including an indication of the age group for which the program is intended.4 In the Children’s Television Programming Order, the Commission stated its belief that “program guides are an effective means of providing parents with advance notice of scheduling of educational programs.”5 Moreover, the Commission indicated that this information would help parents to find appropriate programs for their children and others who want to monitor a station’s compliance with the CTA.6 The Commission acknowledged, however, that broadcasters cannot 1 Pub. L. No. 101-437, 104 Stat. 996-1000, codified at 47 U.S.C. Sections 303a, 303b and 394. 2 47 C.F.R. § 73.671(a). 3 11 FCC Rcd 10660 (1996) (Children’s Television Programming Order). 4 47 C.F.R. § 73.673. 5 Children’s Television Programming Order, 11 FCC Rcd at 10689. 6 Id. 2 require program guide publishers to print this information.7 Nonetheless, the Commission concluded that the information is more likely to be included in program listings if broadcasters regularly provide it. On December 1, 2006, you filed the above-referenced license renewal application for station WZMY-TV (File No. BRCT-20061201AIT). In Exhibit 23, you stated that after reviewing internal records you realized that you have not been providing program guide publishers with each program’s target age-range on WZMY-TV’s core programming schedule you provided to them.8 You indicated that you have begun including such data in your submissions to publishers of program guides. Based upon the record before us, we think that an admonition is warranted for the station’s failure to identify for publishers of program guides the age group for which its children’s programming is targeted. Although we do not rule out more severe sanctions for violations of this nature in the future, we have determined that an admonition is appropriate at this time. Therefore, based upon the facts and circumstances before us, we ADMONISH you for the admitted violation of Section 73.673 described in station WZMY-TV’s renewal application. Accordingly, IT IS ORDERED that, a copy of this Letter shall be sent by First Class and Certified Mail, Return Receipt Requested to Shootingstar Broadcasting of New England, LLC at the address listed above, and to its counsel, Sally A. Buckman, Esquire, Leventhal Senter & Lerman PLLC, 2000 K Street, N.W., Suite 600, Washington, D.C. 20006-1809. Sincerely, Barbara A. Kreisman Chief, Video Division Media Bureau 7 Id. 8 On July 21, 2004, the Commission granted an application to assign the license for station WZMY-TV from CTV of Derry, Inc. to Shootingstar Broadcasting of New England, LLC (BALCT-20040521AHQ). That assignment transaction was consummated on September 15, 2004.