In July, we wrote about the effective date of the FCC’s new rules allowing non-CPB noncommercial stations to interrupt their normal programming to raise funds for third-party charitable and non-profit organizations (we wrote here about the decision itself), for up to 1% of their total airtime. In July, we noted that the new rules on the recordkeeping requirements about these fundraising efforts had not yet gone into effect, as they needed to be approved by the Office of Management and Budget under the Paperwork Reduction Act. Yesterday’s Federal Register announced that this approval has been received, and the paperwork rules will go into effect on November 13.

The new rules require on-air disclosures at the beginning and end of any fundraising appeal where the station tells its audience that the money is going to a third-party, not to the station. That announcement must be made at least hourly for longer fund-raising appeals. In addition, the station must maintain in its public file the following information:

  • the date, time, and duration of the fundraiser;
  • the type of fundraising activity;
  • the name of the non-profit organization benefitted by the fundraiser;
  • a brief description of the specific cause or project, if any, supported by the fundraiser; and
  • to the extent that the station participated in tallying or receiving any funds for the non-profit group, an approximation of the total funds raised