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With the federal government shutdown finally ending yesterday, broadcasters need to be prepared to take steps to comply with FCC rules whose enforcement has been put on hold since October 1, when the government shut down most FCC electronic filing systems, including the online public files.  Now that the FCC has reopened, the FCC has recognized that its initial guidance (about which we wrote here), issued in the face of what might have been expected to be a short suspension of activities, was not realistic given the length of the shutdown and the potential issues that could arise with many broadcasters and other regulated entities all trying to upload their documents to various FCC systems by the end  of the next business day after government operations resumed (see our list of concerns here). 

Thus, yesterday, when the FCC reopened, it released a Public Notice postponing the deadline for filings due during the shutdown until at least Tuesday, November 18, with a promise of another public notice before that date to evaluate whether that date was in fact realistic or if a further extension for some or all filings would be warranted.  In fact, that Public Notice suggests that parties not rush to upload everything immediately, but only to submit time-sensitive documents to the FCC.  Given that, as of 9 AM Eastern on Friday morning (on November 14), some FCC databases including the online public file still are offline, it appears realistic to assume that some further extensions will be required.  [Update, 11/14/ 2025, 4:00 PM ET, the FCC has now posted notices on the help pages for both the Online Public Inspection File and for LMS where applications are filed, saying that neither system will be available for use until November 18, seemingly insuring a further extension of the dates by which filings will be due] Consult your own legal and technical advisors as to how these deadlines affect your operations and as to what filings should be prioritized once the FCC’s systems are back up and operating. Continue Reading Federal Government Reopens with FCC Decision to Provide More Time to Submit Delayed Filings – and Watch for Comment Deadlines in Major Proceedings on Media Ownership and the ATSC 3.0 Transition

In November, the biggest regulatory news may be the continuing federal government shutdown is continuing.  If the shutdown persists, comment deadlines discussed below may shift until after the government resumes normal operations.  As we discussed here, the FCC provided guidelines before the shutdown began on how regulatory deadlines would be impacted during the government shutdown, with most deadlines postponed until the day after the day that the FCC reopens.  Yet, as we noted here, many questions remain as to whether the FCC’s systems will be prepared for the backlog of filings suddenly due on one day, and as to how the reopening will affect actions like the LPTV/TV translator major change filing opportunity that was to have already been opened.  Be on the lookout for updates on what will occur should the federal government reopen this month.

One deadline unaffected by the shutdown is the requirement triggered by the end of Daylight Savings Time on November 2.  The change in the clocks means that AM daytime only stations, AM stations with different daytime and nighttime patterns, and AM stations operating with pre-sunrise and/or post-sunset authority should check their sign-on and sign-off times on their current FCC authorizations to ensure continued compliance with the FCC’s technical rules.  AM stations need to note that all times listed in FCC licenses are stated in standard time, not daylight savings time even if it is in effect.Continue Reading November 2025 Regulatory Dates for Broadcasters – Federal Government Shutdown, Daylight Savings Time, Comment Deadlines, FCC Open Meeting, and more

We would normally provide you with some of the regulatory developments of significance to broadcasters from the past week, with links to where you can go to find more information as to how these actions may affect your operations.  But, as the government shutdown has drastically limited activity at the FCC, and as Congress did…

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Updated, 9/9/25 to correct typo in opening date for the filing of applications for new LPTV and TV translator stations in the second bullet below.

Here are some of the regulatory developments of significance to broadcasters from the past two weeks, with links to where you can go to find more information as to how…

  • The FCC’s Public Safety and Homeland Security Bureau announced that October 3 is the deadline for EAS Participants, including broadcasters,
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  • The FCC’s Media Bureau waived the requirement that broadcasters file their biennial ownership reports by December 1 of this year,
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