STATEMENT OF
COMMISSIONER AJIT PAI
Re: Amendment of Section 73.1216 of the Commission’s Rules Related to Broadcast Licensee-
Conducted Contests, MB Docket No. 14-226
In 1985, I won a radio contest at the ripe-old age of twelve.  In reality, it was my father who 
entered.  But upon winning, he became embarrassed and gave the radio station my name.  The result?  An 
envelope soon arrived in the mail with my name on it, a rare and exciting event for me at that age.  Inside 
was a cassette tape with a number of popular songs, including the theme to Miami Vice.  This marked my 
first and only victory in a broadcast contest.  You might say that I peaked at twelve, and it’s been all 
downhill ever since.
On a more serious note, this item proposes to amend the FCC’s contest rule, which currently 
requires broadcasters to disclose the material terms of any contest through periodic over-the-air 
announcements.  The Commission adopted this rule way back in 1976.  Given the state of technology in 
the 1970s, the rule made sense at the time.  But needless to say, the world has changed in the many years 
since.  So, too, should our contest rule.  In particular, the rule should reflect the digital world in which we 
live.
That’s why Commissioner O’Rielly and I called for the Commission to modernize our contest 
rule.  Today, we start the process to do just that.  Specifically, we propose to give broadcasters the option 
of disclosing the material terms of contests on a publicly accessible website so long as the station 
broadcasts the website address each time that it mentions the contest.  This would allow interested 
viewers or listeners to review the contest rules at their convenience and ease the burden imposed on 
broadcasters.  
This isn’t just an academic exercise.  Contest rules are not the most compelling content.  For 
some reason, people just don’t find them as catchy as songs like All About That Bass by Meghan Trainor 
or Happy by Pharrell Williams.  And there is evidence that many audience members change the channel 
when these rules are read on air.    
So I thank the Chairman for launching the process of updating our contest rule.  I also thank him 
and my other colleagues for their support of my suggestions for improving the item.  Returning back to 
that cassette tape I “won” back in 1985, the item brings to mind the immortal words of Sonny Crockett, 
the police detective played by Don Johnson on Miami Vice:  “Well, you win some, and you win some.”  I 
will happily vote to approve.