By March 1 of 2018, all radio stations were to have activated their online public file. We wrote about how that activation should be done here, and answered other questions about the online public file for radio here. Yet, from my own review, and from what I have heard from engineers who conduct reviews of broadcaster’s FCC compliance for the Alternate Broadcast Inspection Programs sponsored by state broadcast associations, there remain stations that have not yet complied with the requirement. The FCC yesterday issued a reminder to all stations that their files are supposed to be live, and said that the FCC itself will be activating the file for any station that has not already done so by November 15. If they have to activate your public file, they may note that they had to do so, and that may have consequences for license renewals that will be filed for radio starting next year.

For any stations that have not activated their file, you really need to go to that file now and make sure that it is active and that all the required material is in the file. While the FCC will be automatically uploading copies of documents that are electronically filed at the FCC, every station has certain obligations where their own employees need to upload information into the file. For instance, every full-power station needs to upload on a quarterly basis its Quarterly Issues Programs Lists. As we wrote here, these lists are particularly important as they are the only way in which a licensee reports on how it served its community. With license renewals for radio starting in June 2019, a review of the online public file will likely be part of the FCC’s review of the renewal application. Not having these lists, or not having activated the file at all, will likely lead to FCC fines. So check out your online public inspection file, make sure that it is active, and that the information is complete and accurate. Failing to do so may end up costing substantial sums should the FCC find your compliance lacking – which they now can do from the comfort of their own computer, any time of any day.