Federal Communications Commission DA 21-1239 DA 21-1239 Released: October 1, 2021 FILING WINDOW FOR 2021 BIENNIAL BROADCAST OWNERSHIP REPORTS NOW OPEN, CLOSES ON DECEMBER 1, 2021 Media Bureau to Host Information Session on October 5, 2021 By this Public Notice, the Media Bureau reminds licensees that the window for the submission of 2021 broadcast biennial ownership reports opens today, Friday, October 1, 2021. All 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. 47 CFR §§ 73.3615(a), (d); 73.6026; 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. The filing window will close on Wednesday, December 1, 2021, Id. §§ 73.3615(a), (d); 73.6026; 74.797. by which time all licensees must have filed their reports. During the window, commercial and noncommercial broadcasters must submit their reports on FCC Form 323 or 323-E, respectively, via the Commission’s Licensing and Management System (LMS). Filers can access LMS at https://enterpriseefiling.fcc.gov/dataentry/login.html. Paper copies will not be accepted. The 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). 47 CFR §§ 73.3615(a), (d); 74.797. Information contained in the report must be current as of October 1, 2021. Id. As the Commission has emphasized previously, it is critical that broadcast licensees comply with this fundamental and longstanding reporting obligation. 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). Information contained in biennial ownership reports helps the Commission and the public know who owns, operates, and controls broadcast stations. In addition, this information is crucial to understanding the broadcast industry as a whole, including an understanding of the diversity and multiplicity of owners. Consistent with the importance of this information, Commission staff intends to pursue enforcement actions 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 process, the Bureau will host a public information session on October 5, 2021 at 2:00 p.m. This session is designed to assist both novice and experienced filers. During the session, Bureau staff will present general information about the biennial ownership reporting requirement, provide tips for completing reports efficiently and accurately, discuss strategies for avoiding common reporting errors, and respond to questions raised by online attendees. 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. In addition, the information session will be posted on the Commission’s website and YouTube page after the event for those who cannot join the information session live on October 5, 2021. 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. – FCC – 2