Here are 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.
- The FCC’s Media Bureau released a Public Notice announcing that applications for new noncommercial Reserved Band (88.1 to 91.9 MHz) FM translators can be filed during a window between 12:01 a.m., ET, on August 11, 2026 and 11:59 p.m., ET, on August 25, 2026. To facilitate the preparation of applications in the filing window by stabilizing the technical database, the Bureau announced a filing freeze on both reserved and non-reserved band LPFM, FM translator, and FM booster station minor modification applications beginning at 11:59 p.m., ET, on July 10, 2026, and continuing until the filing window’s closing. The Public Notice also summarized the window’s filing procedures and requirements, including that applications must be filed electronically on Schedule 349 through the FCC’s Licensing Management System (LMS), and may only be filed by licensees or permittees of existing noncommercial AM, FM, and LPFM stations that will be the primary station of the proposed FM translator. Applicants are limited to filing 10 applications (except that Tribal LPFM applicants who are limited to 4 applications and other LPFM applicants are limited to 2 applications). The FCC will favor applications for fill-in service over those that propose to expand the coverage of their primary station. All other mutually exclusive applications (those which cannot all be granted consistent with the FCC’s technical rules) will be evaluated based on the FCC’s point system criteria. The Bureau reminded applicants that the required documentation for claiming points must be filed with the original application (see the Schedule 349 application instructions here). For more on this Public Notice, see our Broadcast Law Blog article here.
- The FCC’s Enforcement Bureau released a Public Notice announcing that the FCC’s fine schedule (for “civil monetary penalties”) will not be adjusted for inflation for 2026. While the FCC is required by law to annually adjust its fines based on prior-year Consumer Price Index (CPI) data, the Bureau explained that the Office of Management and Budget recently directed federal agencies to continue using 2025 fine levels for the remainder of 2026 because the Bureau of Labor Statistics did not release 2025 CPI data last year due to the federal government shutdown.
- FCC Chairman Carr responded to a letter from several Democratic Senators demanding that the FCC rescind the Media Bureau’s Order that Disney file its license renewals early for its ABC TV stations (see our note here) and explain the Bureau’s basis for the Order. As Carr did with his recent response to a similar letter from Congressional representatives that had alleged that the FCC was attempting to chill the speech of those critical of the Trump Administration (see our note here), Carr stated that early renewals were a long-established FCC practice, and the Media Bureau has called in other broadcasters’ renewals early (including Bridge News, whose renewals were requested at the same time as Disney) and recently concluded that a short-term renewal was appropriate for a station’s continued violations of its Online Public Inspection File obligations after entering into a Consent Decree for those rule violations (as we noted here). Carr said that the Disney early renewals resulted from an investigation of EEO practices and were not a product of singling out Disney for special treatment. Carr again contrasted these actions with what he alleged were political actions by the FCC under the Biden Administration, which he said included pressuring cable providers to drop right-wing news outlets, blocking the sale of broadcast stations for political reasons, and refusing to renew broadcast licenses.
- The Media Bureau granted an application for the transfer of control of the licensee of a TV station located in the Traverse City-Cadillac, MI DMA, resulting in the transferee holding ownership interests in two TV stations in that market. DIRECTV filed a petition to deny against the application, alleging that the parties had not shown that the transfer was in the public interest, and because it would lead to higher retransmission consent fees in the local TV market. Citing its recent approvals of TV station assignment applications where similar arguments were raised (see our notes here, here, here, and here), the Bureau again found that a special public interest showing was not required for applications that comply with the current Local TV Ownership Rule’s two-station limit, and that DIRECTV’s additional arguments about the transactions’ harms were speculative.
- The Media Bureau released a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking proposing to amend the TV Table of Allotments by substituting VHF Channel 11 at Alamogordo, New Mexico for VHF Channel 4. The petitioner is the permittee of a new noncommercial TV station on Channel 4, and it proposes moving the station to a higher VHF Channel to improve is over-the-air reception. The petitioner states that the proposed Channel 11 operation would allow viewers to use a smaller indoor antenna to receive the station.
- The Media Bureau and the Office of Managing Director issued an Order to Pay or to Show Cause against 3 commonly-owned Texas AM stations proposing to revoke the stations’ licenses unless, within 60 days, the stations pay their delinquent regulatory fees and interest, administrative costs, and penalties, or show that the debts are not owed or should be waived or deferred. The stations have a combined unpaid regulatory fee debt totaling $166,646.79 for fiscal years 2013, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024, and 2025.