3740 SW Comus Street
Portland, OR 97219
ph: 503-245-5756
fax: 503-245-5773
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All Oregon radio stations (including NCE non-commercial stations, LPFMs and translators are required to apply for license renewal on the same date, October 1, 2021. This is true even if you have only had your license for a short time. The FCC has bunched all stations in specific geographical areas to renew at the same time. All of Oregon's stations will be applying for renewal on October 1, 2021
INSTRUCTIONS - FORM 2100, SCHEDULE 303-S – RENEWAL OF BROADCAST STATION LICENSE
https://www.fcc.gov/sites/default/files/2100-303-s-instructions.pdf
References to FCC Rules are made in the application form. Before filling it out, applicant should have on hand and be familiar with the current broadcast, translator, LPTV and LPFM rules, which are contained in 47 Code of Federal Regulations (C.F.R.):
(1)Part 0 “Commission Organization”
(2)Part 1 “Practice and Procedure”
(3)Part 17 “Construction, Marking, and Lighting of Antenna Structures”
(4)Part 73 “Radio Broadcast Services”
(5)Part 74“Experimental, Auxiliary, and Special Broadcast and Other ProgramDistributional Services”
FCC Rules may be purchased from the Government Publishing Office. Current prices and purchasing information may be obtained from the GPO Bookstore Website at https://bookstore.gpo.gov/. An up-to-date electronic version of Title 47 of the CFR may be accessed at https://www.ecfr.gov/cgi-bin/text-idx?tpl=/ecfrbrowse/Title47/47tab_02.tpl.
Form 2100, Schedule 303-S – RENEWAL OF BROADCAST STATION LICENSE
This set of screenshots captures the Renewal of Radio Broadcast Station License flow in the LMS application.
https://www.fcc.gov/sites/default/files/2100-303-s-screenshot.pdf
Another really useful FCC page:
Go to: https://publicfiles.fcc.gov/about-station-profiles/
Also see the article by Michael Cousens on the Fact Sheets/Maps page on this website.
Examples of Public Information Files:
https://publicfiles.fcc.gov/fm-profile/kboo
https://publicfiles.fcc.gov/fm-profile/kmun
https://publicfiles.fcc.gov/fm-profile/kmuz
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NOTES from Betty McArdle's presentation at Oregon Community Media's Spring 2021 meeting
NCE and LPFM Renewals Presentation Outline:
All stations must apply for license renewal. Even if your station is not broadcasting at the time for any reason, if your station has a license to broadcast you must apply for a renewal. You will need to include an exhibit stating why you are not broadcasting.
All Oregon stations must file their application for renewal by October 1, 2021. Applications can be filed up to 60 days before October 1, 2021.
All stations: Prepare and file your Renewal of Broadcast Station License using Form 2100, Schedule 303-S on the FCC’s LMS Electronic Filing System.
The LMS Help Center provides information and guidance on the filing process. Give yourself ample time to do this process, especially if this will be your first time using LMS.
All stations, Make sure your station info is correct and up to date; including: Contact person and contact info, station address, etc.. If it’s not, get those things up to date. Some have reported that errors have appeared after their station’s info was imported from the CDBS system.
All stations. Make sure you know your FRN and FRN password. Sometimes the person who set the FRN has left the station and made no record of the FRN and password. Call the FCC, tel:+1-877-480-3201, if you don’t know your FRN or password. They are actually fairly easy to work with and want to help you. Make sure your FRN info is up to date and correct.
Renewal procedures are different for full-power and low-power FMs, mostly the Public Inspection File. Full power stations have one – LPFMs do not.
The PIF requirements include Ownership reports, Equal Employment Opportunity files, Issues/Programs lists, lists of donors supporting specific programs, and with respect to the renewals, certification of compliance with the local public-notice announcements, and more.
Full power stations, Inventory required reports in your on-line public file before completing your renewal application; make sure your PIF is up to date.
If it’s not, get busy right now to get those things up to date. Include an exhibit stating why they were late and what you’re planning to do to see they stay up to date. This is especially pertinent in the Issues/Programs quarterly reports. It’s easy to let those slide.
Do not lie to the FCC. They can easily see on your public file if you are. An untrue answer, even if it seems innocuous, could delay the grant of renewal or could trigger a fine. It’s better to admit to an error and say how you’re going to fix it than to try to sweep it under the rug.
Once your application has been accepted for filing, it will be your obligation to prepare and make announcements on the air. There are scripts available from the FCC. Pre-filing announcements are no longer required. Newspaper public notices are no longer required.
Within 5 business days following FCC's acceptance of renewal application: broadcast announcements (6 total, at least once per week for four consecutive weeks); place hyperlink on website (for 30 days)
Within 7 days of the broadcast of the final required renewal announcement: File a Certification of Announcements in the on-line public file.
The FCC rule that covers this process is 47 CFR Section 73.3580.
Each licensee should familiarize itself with the rules and reporting requirements prior to preparation of the license renewal application.
Information about the Commission's EEO requirements for broadcast stations is available on the Commission's Equal Employment Opportunity page. The EEO rules require that all license renewal applicants (except FM Translator and LPFM renewal applicants) submit FCC Schedule 396 (Broadcast Equal Employment Opportunity Program Report) in advance of or with the license renewal application. If a station employs fewer than five full-time employees, no equal employment opportunity program information need be filed.
Applicants should provide all information requested by the application. If any portions of the application are not applicable, the applicant should so state.
The link on CMAP’s website to an FCC pdf gives step by step instructions for each and every question on the renewal form.
A permittee of a new radio broadcast station is not required to file a license renewal application unless a license is granted prior to the expiration date for radio stations in its particular state or jurisdiction, February 1, 2022 for Oregon.
Hint: whenever an FCC form in LMS or CDBS says that the applicant "certifies" something, the right answer is always "yes"! If the truth is a different answer, you will have to supply a satisfactory explanation as an exhibit -- perhaps also requesting a waiver. An example of this is when the 303-S asks an LPFM applicant if their EEO report has been filed. Since LPFMs are not required to file an EEO report, the answer is “no”. A one-sentence explanation should be enough.
You can save your work at any time using the "Save & Quit", and LMS saves your work as you exit each section too.
You can find your applications in progress in LMS using the top tab "Applications" and the next tab "SAVED" as shown.
Click on the "File Number" link to review or resume work.
When the time is right, a button to submit the application will appear.
Another helpful link for LPFMs: https://www.prometheusradio.org/LMSrenewal-steps.html
Copyright 2009 Community Media Assistance Project. All rights reserved.
3740 SW Comus Street
Portland, OR 97219
ph: 503-245-5756
fax: 503-245-5773
info