FCC Goes Dark Amid Government Shutdown

- Quarterly Issues/Programs Report at Risk

Despite being funded by regulatory fees paid by local Radio and TV broadcasters and other industries subject to its oversight, the Federal Communications Commission has shuttered amidst the overall federal government shutdown triggered by a congressional dispute over planned cuts to funding for Medicaid and the Affordable Care Act.

In announcing the closure, the commission noted that most filing deadlines will be extended to the next business day following the resumption of normal FCC operations.

The next big deadline for stations is the Quarterly Issues/Programs Lists due on October 10.

TAB's FCC legal counsel, Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman, advises stations to attempt to upload their documents in case the Public File comes back online and, if the upload fails, to get screen grabs to include in a memorandum documenting that they tried to meet the filing deadline.

Once the online Public File returns stations should file their documents and include the memorandum.

The FCC provided further details HERE.

There is no indication at this time when Congress will reach a resolution on the budget impasse. The last shutdown occurred in Dec. 2018/Jan. 2019 and lasted 35 days.

Questions? Contact Oscar Rodriguez or call (512) 322-9944.