Federal Communications Commission	DA 20-328



DA 20-328
Released:  March 31, 2020

ENFORCEMENT BUREAU PROVIDES GUIDANCE
FOR RENEWAL HOLD CHECKS

FCC licensees or their attorneys routinely request information from the Enforcement Bureau about “enforcement holds” that might affect the processing of license renewal applications.  Enforcement holds are most often placed by the Bureau in connection with complaints filed against a licensee or its stations that remain under investigation.  While such an enforcement hold is in place, the renewal application subject to the hold will not be granted until the Enforcement Bureau releases the hold.  It is the Enforcement Bureau’s goal to provide licensees or their designated attorneys with information about enforcement holds in a timely manner, while still protecting its investigatory processes and safeguarding the non-public information associated with the investigation.  In this Public Notice, the Enforcement Bureau clarifies how it will process requests for information about renewal holds.

In response to a renewal hold inquiry from a licensee or its designated attorney, the Enforcement Bureau will confirm whether there are any pending enforcement cases or investigations that have resulted in the placement of the enforcement hold.  The Enforcement Bureau will only provide enforcement hold information to the licensee or its designated attorney, and not to third parties, such as lenders or prospective station buyers.  The Enforcement Bureau’s response to an inquiry about a renewal hold will not include the current status of the Enforcement Bureau’s review of the case.  If the licensee or its designated attorney seeks additional information about the hold, the licensee or attorney will be directed to contact the Enforcement Bureau attorney who is handling the case.

To facilitate requests for information about enforcement holds, the licensee or its designated attorney should submit an e-mail to the Enforcement Bureau requesting an enforcement hold review at holdsinfo@fcc.gov.  The request must include the following information:  

(1) Name of the licensee/entity that is the subject of request;
(2) For each station that is the subject of the request:
• the current call sign (and any other call sign by which the facility has been identified since the beginning of the current license term)
• facility identification number
• community of license/market/market number
• service (e.g., AM, FM, TV, PCS)
(3) name, address, telephone number and e-mail address of requesting party; and

(4) the requesting party’s relationship to the subject of the request (e.g., corporate officer, outside counsel, etc.).

Requests that fail to provide the information outlined above may be subject to processing delays.  The Enforcement Bureau will not accept requests for information about enforcement holds by mail, telephone, or fax.  The Enforcement Bureau will notify parties of the outcome of the enforcement hold review by e-mail and/or phone, and will endeavor to do so within seven (7) business days of the Enforcement Bureau’s receipt of the request.  Requests involving a significant number of stations may require more time to process and requesters should take that into consideration in planning their requests.

For further information concerning this Public Notice, please contact Karen Richardson of the Enforcement Bureau, Investigations and Hearings Division, by e-mail at: holdsinfo@fcc.gov.  

By the Chief, Investigations and Hearings Division, Enforcement Bureau.


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