2026 has begun, so it is time to look at the regulatory dates of importance to broadcasters in the new year. Later this week, we will look ahead at some of the broadcast issues likely to be tackled by the FCC and Congress in this new year. But today, we will look at dates and deadlines already on the calendar. So, as we do each year at about this time, we put together a calendar of those dates. We offer for your review our 2026 Broadcaster’s Regulatory Calendar. While this calendar should not be viewed as an exhaustive list of every regulatory date or deadline that your station will face, it highlights many of the most important dates for broadcasters in the coming year – including dates for EEO Public Inspection File Reports, Quarterly Issues Programs lists, children’s television obligations, annual fee obligations, the Biennial Ownership Report due later this year, and much more.
This year will likely bring a flood of political advertising for Congressional, gubernatorial, and state and local elections across the country. We have included in our calendar a list of elections that we have been able to identify, and the associated lowest unit rate windows for each of those elections. Check these dates locally, as information sources about many local elections can be contradictory, and these dates are often subject to change. But lowest unit rates do apply to state and local races as well as federal elections. While you don’t have to accept advertising from state and local candidates, once you accept it from one candidate in a race, all of the political rules (including equal time, lowest unit rates, and political file obligations) apply to that race. See our article here on how the other political broadcasting rules apply to state and local elections, and our articles here and here on what you should be doing to prepare for these upcoming elections.
Certainly, as the year progresses, there will be plenty more dates to note, including comment deadlines in various rulemaking proceedings and compliance deadlines with new rules that are adopted. Also note that some deadlines listed here may be changed by the FCC, or new ones may be added. And we may have missed some obligations that apply specifically to your stations. So do your own research to stay on top of your regulatory obligations. Follow our blog where we post a weekly summary of the prior week’s regulatory actions relevant to broadcasters and a look ahead prior to the start of each month at the regulatory dates in the coming month. Read other newsletters and trade publications and consult your own attorney to stay on top of the regulatory obligations that apply to your stations. We hope that this 2026 Broadcaster’s Regulatory Calendar will give you a good start on spotting some of the important dates that may be ahead and affect your operations.