Federal Communications Commission DA 19-489 DA 19-489 June 4, 2019 REVISED PROCEDURES FOR SUBMITTING FINANCIAL INFORMATION REQUIRED FOR THE DISBURSEMENT OF REIMBURSEMENT PAYMENTS TO FULL POWER AND CLASS A BROADCAST STATIONS AND MULTICHANNEL VIDEO PROGRAMMING DISTRIBUTORS GN Docket No. 12-268 MB Docket No. 16-306 1. Effective immediately, this Public Notice provides revised and simplified instructions for filing FCC Form 1876 to request reimbursement payment(s) from the Television Broadcaster Relocation Fund (the Fund) for costs incurred by full power and Class A broadcasters and multichannel video programming distributors (MVPDs) (collectively, Eligible Entities) because of the post-broadcast incentive auction repack. See Procedures for Submitting Financial Information Required for the Disbursement of Incentive Payments and Reimbursement Payments After the Incentive Auction Closes, Public Notice, 32 FCC Rcd 2003 (2017) (Banking Procedures PN). Pursuant to the Reimbursement Expansion Act, certain low power television, TV translator, and FM broadcast stations will be eligible for reimbursement from the Television Broadcaster Relocation Fund. Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2018, Pub. L. No. 115-141, at Division E, Title V, § 511, 132 Stat. 348 (2018) (codified at 47 U.S.C. § 1452(j)-(n) (Reimbursement Expansion Act). Instructions for submission of financial information by those entities will be provided in a future public notice. Eligible Entities must submit Form 1876 in the Commission Registration System (CORES) Incentive Auction Financial Module (CIAFM) to certify their agreement with and acknowledgement of required payment terms and to identify the financial institution and account into which payments should be made. Eligible Entities should continue to follow the detailed instructions and requirements in the Banking Procedures PN except where specifically amended in this Public Notice. 2. When to Submit or Update Form 1876. Upon release of this Public Notice, Eligible Entities are advised that Form 1876 must be submitted only in the following three circumstances: (1) when the Eligible Entity is submitting banking information to the Commission on a Form 1876 for the first time; (2) when the Eligible Entity is changing banking information submitted to the Commission on a previously-filed Form 1876; or (3) when the Eligible Entity is submitting banking information to the Commission after consummating an assignment of license(s) or transfer of control of the Eligible Entity (transaction consummations). See generally 47 C.F.R. § 73.3540. Previously, an Eligible Entity was also required to submit Form 1876 to change information contained on Form 1876 in sections of the form that contain non-banking information, such as the name of one of its Authorized Agents. Banking Procedures PN, 32 FCC Rcd at 2030, para. 99. Eligible Entities must grant one or two individuals (Authorized Agents) authority to review and verify bank account information. The revised instructions require that updates to information on Form 1876 that do not include changes to the banking information (e.g. changes to Authorized Agent(s), mailing address, and contacts listed in the Eligible Entity Information section) do not require submission of a new Form 1876, with one exception as described herein. Such changes should instead be emailed to FO-REPinvoices@fcc.gov. That email must come from either the contact or the Authorized Agent(s) listed on the entity’s current Form 1876. Therefore, if the email address(es) for both the contact and the Authorized Agent(s) are no longer valid, the Eligible Entity must submit a new signed and notarized Form 1876. 3. Submission and Verification Process. Eligible Entities must follow a revised three-step process to create, submit, and verify the Form 1876: 1. First, the Eligible Entity’s FCC Registration Number Administrator (FRN Administrator) must log in to the CIAFM and enter all requested information. The CIAFM will then generate a Form 1876 PDF. The CIAFM will not allow the Form 1876 to be printed unless all required fields are completed. 2. Second, a person with authority to bind the Eligible Entity (e.g. a corporate officer or owner) must sign the completed, printed Form 1876, have it notarized, and mail the original signed and notarized Form 1876, along with a bank account verification letter or a redacted bank statement (dated within six months of the signature on the Form 1876) that confirms ownership of the account for each Facility ID (reassigned station) or File Number (MVPD) receiving reimbursement, to the Commission at the address set forth in paragraph 5 below. Upon receipt of the notarized Form 1876, an email notification will be sent to the Eligible Entity when the FCC receives the Form 1876. 3. Third, after FCC staff has determined that all required information has been provided on the Form 1876, an email notification will be sent to the Eligible Entity explaining that the Authorized Agents(s) have 10 business days If the Authorized Agent(s) fails to verify bank account information within 10 business day of the date of the notification email, the system will lock the bank account review for that FIN/File Number. In order to unlock the bank account review, an Eligible Entity must submit a help request at https:www.fcc.gov/wireless/available-support-services or call 877-480-3201 (M-F, 8 a.m. – 6 p.m. ET). to review and verify bank account information for that Facility ID/File Number in the CIAFM. After the Authorized Agent verifies bank account information provided on Form 1876, bank account review in the CIAFM is locked and the Authorized Agent(s) may only view limited bank account information such as the account holder name, bank name, and last four digits of the account number. Authorized Agent(s) must carefully review bank account information on the Review Bank Account for Facility IDs/File Numbers screen before clicking SUBMIT. If any banking information changes are required after bank account information has been verified, an Eligible Entity must submit a new Form 1876. If an Authorized Agent determines that the bank account information is incorrect, the Eligible Entity must submit a new Form 1876. No reimbursement payment will be made if the bank account information in the CIAFM is not verified by an Authorized Agent. 4. This three-step process replaces the Form 1876 submission process established in the Banking Procedures PN. Banking Procedures PN, 32 FCC Rcd at 2022, para. 66. The FCC will now only accept Forms 1876 generated from the CIAFM. Eligible Entities can no longer submit the prior version of Form 1876 which was filled in manually. 5. The completed Form 1876 and the banking attachment must be sent to: We recommend that an Eligible Entity mail its Form 1876 by a trackable delivery method, such as certified U.S. mail or overnight mail, that will allow the Eligible Entity to confirm proof of delivery. An Eligible Entity that anticipates receiving payments for multiple stations may send more than one Form 1876 in the same envelope. Federal Communications Commission Travel & Operations Group Attn: Chief of TOG, Tim Dates 9050 Junction Drive Annapolis Junction, MD 20701 6. For FCC User Registration-related questions about completing Form 1876 or accessing CORES or the CIAFM, submit a help request at https://www.fcc.gov/wireless/available-support-services or call 877-480-3201 (Mon. - Fri., 8 a.m. - 6 p.m. ET). For reimbursement questions, contact Dana Leavitt, Dana.Leavitt@fcc.gov, (202) 418-1317. Press contact: Katie Gorscak, Katie.Gorscak@fcc.gov, (202) 418-2156. – FCC – 3