Federal Communications Commission	DA 21-1130


DA 21-1130
Released: September 10, 2021

MEDIA BUREAU REMINDS BROADCASTERS OF UPCOMING WINDOW FOR FILING BIENNIAL OWNERSHIP REPORTS AND ANNOUNCES INFORMATION SESSION ON OCTOBER 5, 2021

Filing Window Opens on October 1, 2021


By this Public Notice, the Media Bureau (Bureau) reminds commercial and noncommercial broadcasters of their upcoming obligation to file 2021 biennial ownership reports on FCC Form 323 or 323-E, respectively.  The broadcast ownership report filing window will open on October 1, 2021, and all reports must be submitted by December 1, 2021. See 47 C.F.R. §§ 73.3615(a), (d); 73.6026; 74.797.
 

Pursuant to the Commission’s rules, licensees of commercial and non-commercial full power television, Class A television, low power television, AM radio, and FM radio stations must file biennial ownership reports with the Commission in odd-numbered years. Id. §§ 73.3615(a), (d); 73.6026; 74.797.
  Information contained in this year’s biennial ownership reports must be current as of October 1, 2021. Id. §§ 73.3615(a), (d); 74.797.  
  Reports must provide all information required by, and comply with all requirements set forth in, the current version of the relevant broadcast ownership report form (FCC Form 323 or 323-E). Id. §§ 73.3615(a), (d); 74.797.
  Further information about biennial ownership reports is available on the Commission’s web page at www.fcc.gov/media/ownership-report-commercial-broadcast-station-form-323.

We remind stations that reporting ownership information has long been a fundamental obligation of broadcast licensees. We note further that a licensee must maintain its current ownership report in the station’s Online Public Inspection File, which is intended to “encourage a continuing dialogue between broadcasters and the public to ensure stations meet their obligations and remain responsive to the needs of the local community.”  Media Bureau, FCC, The Public and Broadcasting 27 (2019).
  The accurate and timely filing of such information is critical to ensuring that the Commission and the public know who owns, operates, and controls broadcast stations.  Additionally, such ownership information is crucial to an understanding of the broadcast industry as a whole, including an understanding of the diversity and multiplicity of owners.  Given the importance of the biennial ownership reporting requirement, we encourage licensees to prepare accordingly and to file their reports during the designated window.  Commission staff may pursue enforcement action against licensees that fail to file their biennial ownership reports in a timely or complete manner. See Media Bureau Reminds Broadcasters of the Obligation to File Biennial Ownership Reports, Public Notice, DA 21-711, at 2 (MB June 21, 2021).
 

To assist filers with this biennial obligation, the Bureau will host a public information session on October 5, 2021 at 2:00 p.m.  Bureau staff will present an overview of biennial Forms 323 and 323-E and respond to questions raised by online attendees.  This session is designed to assist both novice and experienced filers. 

The October 5, 2021 information session will be convened in an online format and will be available to the public via live feed from the FCC’s web page at www.fcc.gov/live.  The public may also follow the meeting on the Commission’s YouTube page at https://www.youtube.com/user/fccdotgovvideo.  Online viewers may submit questions to form323@fcc.gov during the presentation.  Please type “Info Session” in the subject line for all e-mails related to this event.  Those who cannot join the information session live on October 5th can view it at a later date via the Commission’s YouTube page. 

Open captioning will be provided for this event.  Other reasonable accommodations for people with disabilities are available upon request.  Requests for such accommodations should be submitted via e-mail to fcc504@fcc.gov or by calling the Consumer & Governmental Affairs Bureau at (202) 418-0530 (voice), (202) 418-0432 (TTY).  Such requests should include a detailed description of the accommodation needed.  In addition, please include a way for the FCC to contact the requester if more information is needed to fill the request.  Please allow at least five days’ advance notice for accommodation requests; last minute requests will be accepted but may not be possible to accommodate.   

For additional information, please contact Jake Riehm at Jake.Riehm@fcc.gov or William Durdach at William.Durdach@fcc.gov.  Alternatively, you may send an email to form323@fcc.gov. 


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