TAB’s Alternative Broadcast Inspection Program Checks Your Station’s FCC Compliance

Now in its 29th year of operations, TAB Alternative Broadcast Inspection Program (ABIP) offers Texas broadcast stations the means to determine whether their stations are in compliance with the FCC's maze of regulations.

TAB has long provided underwriting a good deal of the cost of inspections in order to keep the member station inspection fee affordable.

FCC forfeitures typically start at the $4,000 level and rise steadily from there, so it is far less expensive if TAB finds a problem and it is addressed, than if the FCC finds the problem during a surprise inspection.

Over the years, stations have often told us that they think of TAB's ABIP as "peace of mind" insurance.

ABIP reviews cover most, but not all, of the regulations pertaining to a station's studio and transmitter facilities.

Typically, it takes about 3-4 hours to review one station, and less time to review others located under the same roof.

The reviews include an inspection of a station's physical facilities, as well as a review of certain station procedures.

Upon completion of an inspection, TAB inspectors provide the station with a comprehensive report on what was found.

If there are areas of non-compliance with FCC regulations, these are specifically noted along with the corrective action needed to address the issue.

The end goal and reward for successfully completing a review is a three-year waiver from routine, surprise FCC inspections of a station's physical facilities.

The waiver comes in the form of a Certificate of Compliance which is often posted in the lobby of the station.

While many stations pass the inspection without issue, those stations that have deficiencies related to their physical facilities may correct them within a reasonable period and still garner one of the coveted certificates.

Stations can learn more about what is involved in a station inspection and download the TAB ABIP contract here.

The FCC may still inspect an ABIP reviewed station to review tower safety issues or investigate complaints received.

Additionally, since stations' public inspection files migrated to the FCC's website in the past decade,
the commission has continuous capability to review materials required not only to be in the file, but
also ascertain if they were timely filed.

TAB's ABIP Review Team

TAB's ABIP inspectors are broadcast engineering veterans Wayne Kube and Steve Sandlin, who have approximately 80 years of broadcasting experience between them.

Wayne Kube

• 30+ years in broadcasting
• Former Engineering Manager, Director of Technology at Belo Corporation
• Owner of Kube Broadcast Consulting, Inc., a broadcast consulting firm

Steve Sandlin

• 40+ years in broadcasting
• Former Chief Engineer, Texas radio, and TV stations
• Professional Broadcast Engineer, SBE lifetime certification

The intrepid duo has logged thousands of miles thoroughly reviewing Texas stations over the past decade.

What Are the Most Common Deficiencies Found?

Some types of non-compliance issues show up more frequently.
So much so that the late Dick Pickens, one of the original four TAB ABIP inspectors when the program began in 1997, left a parting gift to stations in this list of common deficiencies as encountered by TAB ABIP inspectors.

TAB ABIP inspectors Kube and Sandlin, as well as attorney Jessica Nyman with TAB's FCC legal counsel, Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman, will take a deep dive into this list and other areas of FCC non-compliance at TAB's Annual Convention and Trade Show Aug. 5-6

Interested in getting a station inspection?

Download the TAB ABIP contract here.

Questions? Contact TAB's Michael Schneider or call (512) 322-9944.