82 FR 57876 - Elimination of Main Studio Rule

FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION

Federal Register Volume 82, Issue 235 (December 8, 2017)

Page Range		57876-57884
FR Document		2017-24982
In this document, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC or Commission) eliminates the rule that requires each AM, FM, and television broadcast station to maintain a main studio located in or near its community of license. The FCC also eliminates existing requirements associated with the rule, including the requirement that the main studio have full-time management and staff present during normal business hours, and that it have program origination capability.
Federal Register, Volume 82 Issue 235 (Friday, December 8, 2017)
[Federal Register Volume 82, Number 235 (Friday, December 8, 2017)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 57876-57884]
From the Federal Register Online  [www.thefederalregister.org]
[FR Doc No: 2017-24982]


=======================================================================
-----------------------------------------------------------------------

FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION

47 CFR Parts 1 and 73

[MB Docket No. 17-106; FCC 17-137]


Elimination of Main Studio Rule

AGENCY: Federal Communications Commission.

ACTION: Final rule.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: In this document, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC 
or Commission) eliminates the rule that requires each AM, FM, and 
television broadcast station to maintain a main studio located in or 
near its community of license. The FCC also eliminates existing 
requirements associated with the rule, including the requirement that 
the main studio have full-time management and staff present during 
normal business hours, and that it have program origination capability.

DATES: Effective January 8, 2018, except for Sec. Sec.  73.3526(c)(1) 
and 73.3527(c)(1), which contain new or modified information collection 
requirements, and which shall become effective after the Commission 
publishes a document in the Federal Register announcing OMB approval 
and the relevant effective date.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For additional information on this 
proceeding, contact Diana Sokolow, [email protected], of the Policy 
Division, Media Bureau, (202) 418-2120.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This is a summary of the Commission's Report 
and Order (R&O), FCC 17-137, adopted and released on October 24, 2017. 
The full text of this document is available for public inspection and 
copying during regular business hours in the FCC Reference Center, 
Federal Communications Commission, 445 12th Street SW., Room CY-A257, 
Washington, DC 20554. This document will also be available via ECFS at 
http://fjallfoss.fcc.gov/ecfs/. Documents will be available 
electronically in ASCII, Microsoft Word, and/or Adobe Acrobat. Copies 
of the materials can be obtained from the FCC's Reference Information 
Center at (202) 418-0270. Alternative formats are available for people 
with disabilities (Braille, large print, electronic files, audio 
format), by sending an email to [email protected] or calling the 
Commission's Consumer and Governmental Affairs Bureau at (202) 418-0530 
(voice), (202) 418-0432 (TTY).

Synopsis

    1. The Commission in this R&O adopts the proposal in the Notice of 
Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM), 82 FR 25590 (June 2, 2017), to eliminate 
the Commission rule requiring AM, FM, and television broadcast stations 
to maintain a local main studio.\1\ We also adopt the proposal to 
eliminate the associated staffing and program origination capability 
requirements that apply to main studios. To ensure that community 
members retain the ability to communicate with and obtain information 
regarding their local stations, we retain the existing requirement that 
broadcasters maintain a local or toll-free telephone number. We also 
require stations to maintain any portion of their public file that is 
not part of the online public file at a publicly accessible location 
within the station's community of license. Finally, we make conforming 
edits to other Commission rules that are necessitated by the 
elimination of the main studio rule.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \1\ Because we are eliminating the main studio rule, we need not 
address one commenter's argument that the current main studio rule 
is unenforceable under the Administrative Procedure Act. We also 
decline to address herein arguments that are outside the scope of 
this proceeding, which is limited to elimination of the main studio 
rule and the associated staffing and program origination capability 
requirements.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    2. We agree with the vast majority of commenters \2\ in this 
proceeding that the main studio rule should be eliminated. We are 
persuaded that eliminating the rule will result in significant cost 
savings for broadcasters and other public interest benefits. For 
example, the record shows that in some small towns and rural areas the 
cost of complying with the current main studio rule dissuades 
broadcasters from launching a station, even if the broadcaster has 
already obtained a construction permit for the station. Eliminating the 
rule thus may lead to increased broadcast service in those areas. In 
addition, as commenters suggest, eliminating the main studio rule will 
provide broadcasters with the same flexibility as Internet radio 
stations and cable and satellite providers, none of which are subject 
to a main studio requirement. While we recognize the importance of 
local broadcast television and radio stations as a source of news and 
information, we agree with NAB that the record does not provide any 
``evidence that the physical location of a station's main studio is the 
reason local broadcasters are able to deliver content that meets the 
needs and interest[s] of their communities, or that the location and 
staffing of the studio has any relationship to the ability of a station 
to serve its local audience.''
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \2\ Contrary to the suggestion of Common Frequency, the ample 
record in this proceeding provides the Commission with sufficient 
information to proceed to this R&O.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    3. We affirm the tentative conclusion in the NPRM that 
technological innovations have rendered local studios unnecessary as a 
means for viewers and listeners to communicate with or access their 
local stations and to carry out the other traditional functions that 
they have served. The record shows that it is exceedingly rare for a 
member of the public to visit a station's main studio, with community 
members overwhelmingly choosing instead to communicate with stations 
through more efficient means such as email, station Web sites, social 
media, mail, or telephone.\3\ This has been the case even more so since 
the Commission created the online public inspection file. Once 
broadcasters fully transition to the online public file in early 2018, 
requiring stations to maintain a fully staffed main studio for purposes 
of providing access to the file will no longer be practical or 
justifiable. It is also relevant that community members already 
participate in station shows from outside the main studio, for example 
by appearing via telephone or Skype. As some commenters state, in-
person visits from community members are now ``unnecessary, if not 
obsolete,'' as a result of the ``near ubiquity of remote 
communication.'' \4\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \3\ Although broadcast licensees are obligated to serve ``the 
public interest, convenience, and necessity,'' we find that 
``convenience'' need not include reasonable physical access to the 
station's facilities in the community of license, contrary to the 
suggestion of one commenter, given how rarely community members 
today opt to access such facilities.
    \4\ In addition, some commenters point to the legitimate public 
safety concerns that are associated with allowing uninvited members 
of the public to visit a station's main studio.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

[[Page 57877]]

    4. We disagree with arguments that in the absence of a local main 
studio, the Commission will be unable to ensure that a station serves 
its local community. Broadcast licensees still will be required to 
include in their public inspection files, on a quarterly basis, a list 
of those ``programs that have provided the station's most significant 
treatment of community issues during the preceding three month 
period,'' including a brief description of each relevant program. 
Further, as part of the broadcast station license renewal process, the 
Commission is required to find that ``the station has served the public 
interest, convenience, and necessity'' during its preceding license 
term. In particular, ``[o]ne of a television broadcaster's fundamental 
public interest obligations is to air programming responsive to the 
needs and interests of its community of license.''
    5. We also are not persuaded by contentions that broadcasters' 
local community involvement or the provision of local news will 
significantly decline if we eliminate the main studio rule. Broadcast 
commenters explain that they keep apprised of local needs and issues to 
distinguish themselves from their competitors, to gain popularity and 
thus advertising dollars or, in the case of noncommercial educational 
(NCE) stations, contributions, and to fulfill their public interest 
obligations.\5\ Broadcasters will retain these incentives even in the 
absence of the main studio rule.\6\ In addition, we agree with 
Univision that today, ``providing service to, interacting with, and 
maintaining awareness of a community is not dependent upon locating a 
station's offices within certain arbitrary geographic boundaries 
imposed by the'' main studio rule. To the contrary, broadcasters can 
interact with local community members by using technology such as 
social media, and even without a local main studio, broadcasters can 
use modern technology to broadcast information about local events. The 
main studio rule does not require broadcasters to provide any 
particular level of local coverage or involvement in the local 
community, and there is no evidence in the record that elimination of 
this rule will cause a decrease in such involvement or coverage.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \5\ We note that the main studio rule does not require 
broadcasters to provide coverage of their local communities; rather, 
the rule simply governs the permissible location of a station's main 
studio.
    \6\ The record suggests that not all stations will choose to 
eliminate their current main studios after the main studio rule is 
repealed. Those stations that do choose to eliminate their current 
main studios likely will often maintain an office or studio that is 
convenient to their viewers or listeners, so that, among other 
things, community members can appear in person to serve as on-air 
guests or attend in-studio events, and so that contest prize winners 
can visit the station to retrieve their prizes.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    6. We reject claims that the elimination of the main studio rule 
will have a negative impact on broadcasters' ability to broadcast 
emergency and time-sensitive information. One commenter explains that 
in terms of ``a station's ability to communicate time-sensitive or 
emergency information to the public,'' today telephone and Internet 
communications are more efficient than an in-person interaction at a 
local studio. In furtherance of their obligation to serve their 
communities of license, commenters state that broadcasters will 
continue providing timely emergency information to their viewers and 
listeners. Additionally, we note that the elimination of the main 
studio rule will not in any way alter a station's obligations to 
transmit emergency alerts received via the emergency alert system 
(EAS).\7\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \7\ As explained below, broadcasters already have processes in 
place to ensure that they are responsive to emergency situations.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    7. Because we find that technological innovations have eliminated 
the need for a local main studio, the costs of complying with the main 
studio rule substantially outweigh any benefits.\8\ Broadcasters detail 
the significant costs that they face under the main studio rule, 
including such expenses as: (a) Rent, utilities, insurance, and 
maintenance costs for the studio itself; (b) equipment and transmission 
facilities; and (c) salaries, taxes, insurance, and benefits for the 
main studio's two full-time employees. Broadcasters claim that main 
studio-related costs range from $20,000 per year to several hundred 
thousand dollars per year.\9\ One broadcaster states that it could 
consolidate main studios and save more than $10 million annually. The 
main studio rule imposes significant and burdensome costs on 
broadcasters, particularly smaller broadcasters and NCE stations.\10\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \8\ This rationale for eliminating the main studio rule applies 
to all broadcast stations, and we thus will eliminate the rule in 
its entirety rather than eliminating it only for a certain subset of 
stations.
    \9\ Due to the specific information broadcasters have provided 
regarding costs of compliance with the current main studio rule and 
associated requirements, we are not persuaded by commenters' 
unsupported arguments that maintaining a local main studio ``has 
never been more affordable'' and that broadcasters do not need 
relief from the Commission in this regard.
    \10\ Some commenters claim, without evidence, that small and 
independent broadcasters will not benefit from the elimination of 
the main studio rule because they likely will not relocate their 
existing studios and will become unable to compete against 
consolidated multi-station broadcasters. The fact-based statements 
of small broadcasters in this proceeding, detailing the costs of 
compliance with the main studio rule and the potential benefits to 
them of the elimination of the rule, belie these claims.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    8. The cost savings broadcasters may achieve following elimination 
of the main studio rule will enable them to allocate greater resources 
to local programming and other matters such as community outreach, 
newsgathering, equipment upgrades, and attracting new talent and 
personnel. According to some commenters, such savings could even 
prevent some stations from going dark. Stations will have the 
flexibility to operate studios in the most efficient manner, and some 
stations that are co-owned or jointly operated may find it to be more 
efficient for them to co-locate their studios.\11\ We conclude that 
providing stations with the maximum flexibility by eliminating the main 
studio rule in its entirety is preferable to the more limited 
approaches proposed by some commenters, which could still impose 
significant cost burdens on some stations and would not entirely 
address concerns that the costs of complying with the main studio rule 
are no longer justified today.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \11\ Contrary to the suggestion of one commenter, we see no 
evidence in the record that any broadcast station would attempt to 
move its studio outside of this country, and we question whether 
doing so would be feasible or economical.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    9. Eliminating the main studio rule and associated requirements is 
not inconsistent with section 307(b) of the Communications Act of 1934, 
as amended (the Act), which requires the Commission to ``make such 
distribution of licenses, frequencies, hours of operation, and of power 
among the several States and communities as to provide for a fair, 
efficient, and equitable distribution of radio service to each of the 
same.'' In the absence of the main studio rule, broadcast stations 
still will be licensed to a specific community of license, and they 
will be obligated to place a certain signal contour over that 
community. As noted above, broadcasters also will remain subject to 
license renewal and quarterly issues/programs list requirements. 
Moreover, programming designed to meet a community's needs and 
interests can be produced anywhere today. For the reasons discussed 
herein, the record supports our finding that a local main studio is no 
longer necessary to ensure that broadcast stations serve their local 
communities,\12\ and thus eliminating

[[Page 57878]]

the main studio requirement will not prevent compliance with the 
distribution directive in section 307(b) of the Act.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \12\ We thus reject claims that the main studio rule is still 
needed to meet the obligations in section 307(b) of the Act. In 
addition, we agree with NAB that any assertion that the main studio 
rule is needed to enforce the ``transmission service'' requirement 
is misplaced because ``[t]he Commission effectively abandoned this 
definition of transmission service when it eliminated the program 
origination requirement.''
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    10. We note that the Commission or Media Bureau has previously 
granted waivers of the main studio rule. Our decision to eliminate the 
main studio requirement supersedes these waiver grants, including 
pledges that the licensees made in connection with those waivers, with 
one exception discussed below.\13\ Accordingly, as of the effective 
date of the rules adopted in this R&O, stations that have previously 
received a waiver of the main studio rule must comply with the 
Commission's rules, including the requirement to maintain a local or 
toll-free number, rather than the licensee pledges, if any, associated 
with their superseded waiver grants. Upon the elimination of the main 
studio rule, it would not make sense to continue subjecting stations to 
the commitments they made in obtaining a waiver of the main studio 
rule, including any related recordkeeping requirements.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \13\ The main studio waiver grants are superseded by this R&O 
because there will no longer be a main studio rule to be waived. 
Given that waivers of the main studio rule will no longer be 
necessary, we need not address one commenter's claim that the 
current waiver process leads to an unfair and inefficient 
distribution of radio services. Below we explain one type of main 
studio waiver for which we will grandfather the station's current 
main studio as a permissible location for its local public file.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    11. In addition to eliminating the main studio rule itself, we 
adopt our NPRM proposal to eliminate the staffing requirements 
currently associated with the rule. This will provide broadcasters with 
more flexibility to staff their operations as they see fit. Pursuant to 
Commission precedent, there currently must be two employees (one 
management and one staff) present on a full-time basis at a main studio 
during normal business hours. Given the technological advances that 
enable remote monitoring and control of broadcast stations, commenters 
attest that some main studio employees have nothing to do but sit at 
the main studio in fulfillment of this requirement. Commenters 
persuasively state that it can be difficult for small or rural stations 
and for financially-challenged AM stations to support two full-time 
employees. For example, station KIHT(FM) is licensed to Amboy, 
California (population: four) and serves motorists traveling through 
the Mojave Desert. One employee travels over an hour each way each day 
to staff the main studio.
    12. We find that decisions regarding location and number of staff 
members should be left to broadcast licensees.\14\ Although we 
acknowledge that elimination of the main studio staffing requirement 
possibly could lead to fewer employees available to interact person to 
person at the physical station office, we have explained above that 
technology enables broadcasters to interact with the local community 
and to broadcast information about local events even without a local 
main studio. Eliminating the main studio requirement and associated 
staffing requirement promotes our statutory goals by allowing 
broadcasters to allocate greater resources to programming and other 
matters, promoting increased broadcast service in small towns and rural 
areas, and preventing stations from going dark. To the extent 
commenters express concerns about potential job loss following the 
elimination of the main studio rule and the associated staffing 
requirement, we do not believe we are required to disregard our 
statutory goals to prevent such loss. Further, preventing stations from 
going dark and enabling broadcasters to launch stations that they 
otherwise may not launch may promote employment.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \14\ We caution that the deletion of the main studio rule does 
not in any way limit or reduce broadcast licensees' obligation and 
responsibility to retain and maintain control over essential station 
matters, such as personnel, programming, and finances. The 
Commission expects that broadcast licensees will continue to be able 
to demonstrate such control notwithstanding the elimination of the 
main studio rule and the staffing requirements associated with the 
main studio rule.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    13. In addition to the foregoing, we also adopt our NPRM proposal 
to eliminate the program origination capability requirement currently 
associated with the main studio rule. This will provide broadcasters 
greater flexibility with respect to their programming operations. 
Pursuant to Commission precedent, the main studio currently must be 
capable of transmitting programming and must be equipped with 
production and transmission facilities. When the Commission decided 
thirty years ago to eliminate its rule requiring stations to actually 
originate programming at their main studios, it concluded that ``the 
main studio no longer plays the central role in the production of a 
station's programming and programming originated from within the 
political boundaries of the community is not necessarily responsive to 
the needs and interests of the community.'' \15\ Conversely, the 
Commission has recognized for decades that non-locally produced 
programming can serve the needs of a community. Those statements are 
only more true today. Technology makes it easier than ever before to 
originate locally relevant programming from locations outside of the 
station's community of license, and the existence of technology that 
enables stations to provide local broadcast coverage without a local 
main studio also moots concerns that licensees need a local main studio 
to broadcast emergency information.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \15\ In that order, the Commission recognized the limited 
utility of the program origination requirement by deleting its rule 
requiring each broadcast station to originate more than 50 percent 
of its non-network programs from its main studio or other points 
within its community of license.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    14. There is no evidence in the record that the current program 
origination capability requirement has enhanced local programming or 
otherwise served the public interest. Commenters state that many 
broadcasters that currently originate programming locally will continue 
to do so in the absence of the current program origination capability 
requirement. In any case, it appears that the location from which 
programming is originated is irrelevant to whether the programing 
serves a community's needs and interests. We agree with broadcast 
commenters ``that a licensee's understanding of the needs and concerns 
of its station's audience,'' not the physical location of its studio or 
program production equipment, ``promotes the broadcast of issue-
responsive programming.'' \16\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \16\ For this reason, we reject the assertion that a main 
studio's most important function is program origination capability.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    15. As proposed in the NPRM, we retain Sec.  73.1125(e) of our 
rules, which requires ``[e]ach AM, FM, TV and Class A TV broadcast 
station [to] maintain a local telephone number in its community of 
license or a toll-free number.'' NAB supports this requirement, which 
it says ``keep[s] the community well-informed and [is] not unduly 
burdensome.'' The telephone number rule permits station owners to 
provide one telephone number for multiple stations, provided that the 
number is toll-free or local to each station's community of 
license.\17\ Some consumers are subject to an additional fee for non-
local calls, and we thus retain the requirement for a local or toll-
free number. Retaining the telephone number rule will help promote 
continued access to local broadcast

[[Page 57879]]

stations by community members upon elimination of the main studio 
rule.\18\ We find that retaining the existing rule is an appropriate 
means to ensure that members of the public can easily contact station 
representatives and receive timely responses.\19\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \17\ Implicit in the requirement to maintain a local or toll-
free number is the requirement that phone calls made to this number 
be answered during business hours. We encourage broadcasters to use 
voicemail or another way for consumers to leave messages outside of 
stations' normal business hours.
    \18\ We recognize that there is some cost to stations of 
maintaining a local or toll-free telephone number, but we find that 
on balance the relatively limited cost is outweighed by the benefit 
of ensuring that the station remains accessible to local community 
members.
    \19\ NFIB has proposed instead that the Commission adopt a 
functional requirement that each station ``ensure that persons in 
its community of license have a reasonable opportunity to 
communicate with the station through at least one generally 
available means of communication at no charge.'' We find that such 
an approach would be unworkable for consumers who do not use email 
and thus would have no way to contact a station if the station 
eliminates its local main studio. Accordingly, maintenance of the 
current telephone number requirement is a more practical approach.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    16. Stations currently are required to post their telephone numbers 
in their online public files.\20\ We retain that requirement and do not 
require stations to publicize their phone numbers in any additional 
ways. We agree with commenters that broadcasters have extensive 
marketplace incentives and license obligations to be accessible and 
responsive to their audience, and we note that telephone numbers by 
their nature generally are accessible in other ways. Broadcasters will 
retain the flexibility to determine whether they want to publicize 
their telephone numbers in additional ways. For example, most stations 
already choose to post their telephone numbers on their Web sites.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \20\ These rules also currently require a station to include its 
main studio address, and as discussed below we modify them to 
require the public file to include the station's address (rather 
than its main studio address). The posted address should be a 
location at which the licensee may be contacted by mail and in 
person, for example, a studio, office, or headquarters.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    17. Furthermore, in the NPRM, the Commission sought comment on 
whether additional requirements are needed to ensure that broadcasters 
are responsive to time-sensitive and emergency information. Because 
broadcasters already coordinate with federal, state, and local 
emergency management officials, as well as law enforcement officials, 
to address emergencies that occur at any time of day, we conclude that 
there is no need to adopt additional requirements pertaining to 
broadcast station responsiveness to time-sensitive or emergency 
information.\21\ While some commenters reference such requirements, 
other commenters persuasively explain that broadcasters already have 
processes in place to ensure that station personnel are available to 
receive and broadcast time-sensitive emergency information. On balance, 
we conclude that the adoption of additional rules would not necessarily 
improve broadcasters' responsiveness to local emergencies, and we thus 
find that there is no evidence that the cost of such obligations would 
be justified by any purported benefits.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \21\ Nothing in this R&O is intended to alter the obligation on 
licensees to post a written document designating the station's Chief 
Operator along with the posted copy of the station's license, as set 
forth in 47 CFR 73.1870(b)(3).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    18. As discussed below, and as supported by NAB and other 
broadcasters, we require every broadcast station applicant, permittee, 
or licensee to maintain any portion of its public file that is not part 
of the online public file at an accessible place within its community 
of license. Pursuant to the Commission's online public file rules, in 
the very near future there will be only limited instances in which any 
portion of a station's public inspection file will be permitted to be 
maintained at the station's main studio rather than online.\22\ In 
2012, the Commission adopted rules requiring television broadcasters to 
utilize an online public file hosted by the Commission, rather than 
maintaining the public file locally, and television stations completed 
their transition to the online public file in 2014. In 2016, the 
Commission adopted rules expanding the online public file requirement 
to broadcast radio licensees. As of June 24, 2016, commercial broadcast 
radio stations in the top 50 Nielsen Audio radio markets with five or 
more full-time employees were required to place new public and 
political file documents in the online public file on a going-forward 
basis. By December 24, 2016, these entities were required to upload 
their existing public file documents to the online file, except for 
existing political file material which they may either upload or 
maintain locally until the expiration of the two-year retention period 
for such political file material. Beginning March 1, 2018, all other 
broadcast radio stations \23\ must place new public and political file 
documents in the online public file on a going-forward basis. They must 
also upload their existing public file documents to the online file by 
that date, except for existing political file material which they may 
either upload or maintain locally until the expiration of the two-year 
retention period for such political file material. In other words, 
community members already have online access to television station 
public files, and by March 1, 2018 they will have online access to 
radio station public files, with the potential exception of preexisting 
portions of the political file that the station may retain locally 
until the expiration of the two-year retention period for such 
materials.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \22\ Sections 73.3526(e) and 73.3527(e) of the Commission's 
rules set forth the required contents of the station's public 
inspection file. These contents include the ``political file,'' 
which consists of the records required to be maintained under Sec.  
73.1943 of our rules concerning broadcasts by candidates for public 
office.
    \23\ This includes NCE broadcast radio stations, commercial 
broadcast radio stations in the top 50 Nielsen Audio radio markets 
with fewer than five full-time employees, and commercial broadcast 
radio stations in markets below the top 50 or outside all markets.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    19. Nonetheless, we recognize the need to ensure that community 
members have local access to a station's public file for any timeframe 
during which all or a portion of that file is not available via the 
online public file. Accordingly, we require every broadcast station 
applicant, permittee, or licensee to maintain any portion of its public 
file that is not part of the online public file at an accessible place 
within its community of license. NAB and other broadcasters support 
this approach. The ``accessible place'' could be a station office or 
studio, if it is located within the community of license, or it could 
be a different location such as a local library or another station's 
office or studio. The file must be available for public inspection at 
any time during regular business hours, as is currently the case with 
regard to access to a public file maintained at a station's main 
studio.\24\ If a station has transitioned to the online public file 
with the exception of its existing political file materials, which 
certain stations may maintain locally until the two-year retention 
period expires as discussed above, then the station must maintain a 
copy of its existing political file materials at an accessible place 
within its community of license until it is no longer required to 
retain those materials.\25\ We note that any station

[[Page 57880]]

that wishes to avoid this requirement has the option to instead fully 
transition to the Commission's online public file system.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \24\ The other requirements of existing Sec. Sec.  73.3526(c)(1) 
and 73.3527(c)(1) of our rules also will apply to the selected 
location of the public file within the community of license. 
Sections 73.3526(b) and 73.3527(b) of our rules currently contain 
multiple references to the hard copy public inspection file 
maintained at a station or at the station's main studio, and we will 
revise this language instead to reference retention of the file at 
an accessible place in the community of license (with the exception 
of references that are limited to timeframes in the past).
    \25\ Urban One states, ``a radio station that has voluntarily 
uploaded all political materials that are required to be maintained 
to its online file should have no obligation to make public file 
material available other than online.'' As explained above, certain 
stations may locally retain political file materials that were 
existing as of a certain date, rather than uploading them to the 
online public file, until the expiration of the two-year retention 
period for those materials. To the extent Urban One is arguing that 
we should permit stations to include new political file materials in 
the online public file, but not to make existing political file 
materials available either locally or through the online public 
file, we disagree. To the contrary, we find that it is important to 
ensure that community members have local access to all portions of 
the public inspection file that are not part of the online public 
file. If it is too inconvenient or costly to maintain these 
materials locally, then a station may choose to post them to the 
online public file instead. In addition, we note that a change to 
the material that is required to be part of a station's public file 
is outside the scope of this proceeding.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    20. In addition, if a broadcast station currently maintains its 
local public file at a main studio that complies with the current main 
studio rule but is not within the station's community of license, and 
if the station retains that studio, we will grandfather that studio as 
a permissible location for the station's local public file for the 
period before completion of the station's transition to the online 
public file.\26\ Similarly, some existing waivers of the main studio 
rule permit stations to maintain their public files at the station's 
main studio outside the community of license.\27\ We also will 
grandfather any such studio as a permissible location for the station's 
local public file for the period before completion of the station's 
transition to the online public file. This approach will ensure that 
stations with current waivers do not face increased burdens as a result 
of the elimination of the main studio rule.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \26\ Sections 73.3526(c)(2) and 73.3527(c)(2) of our rules 
currently govern access to material in the public file by mail where 
the applicant, permittee, or licensee maintains its main studio and 
public file outside its community of license. These current rules 
will remain in place, but we will delete the phrase ``main studio 
and,'' such that the provisions will be triggered if an applicant, 
permittee, or licensee maintains its public file outside its 
community of license because the station's studio is grandfathered 
as a permissible location for the file, as discussed herein.
    \27\ Some main studio waivers reference a licensee pledge to 
maintain the public file in the community of license, while others 
permit the licensee to maintain the public file at the main studio 
subject to the waiver.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    21. A community member seeking access to a station's public 
inspection file in the community of license may contact the station to 
inquire as to the location of the file, for example via its required 
telephone number or email. Stations must promptly provide information 
regarding the location of the file within one business day of a 
request. In addition, we encourage stations that make public file 
materials available at an accessible place in the community to provide 
that location on their Web site, if they have a Web site, and by any 
other means that the station deems effective.
    22. In the NPRM, the Commission sought comment on whether 
alternatively it should only eliminate the main studio rule for 
stations that have fully transitioned all public file material to the 
online public file, including existing political file materials. While 
some commenters support this alternate approach, we agree with NAB that 
we should not limit in this manner the public interest benefits that 
will follow the elimination of the main studio rule.\28\ The later 
March 1, 2018 online public file deadline generally applies to smaller 
stations.\29\ Some of these entities may be most adversely impacted by 
the costs of complying with the current main studio rule, and we 
conclude that we should not disadvantage them by denying them the 
benefits of the repeal of the rule. As discussed above, the costs 
savings of eliminating the rule will be significant and will apply to 
all types of broadcast stations. Given our decision to require 
maintenance of paper files at an accessible location in the community 
if they are not available via the online public file, the benefits of 
retaining the main studio rule for those stations that do not use the 
online public file would be minimal, if they exist at all. Indeed, in 
many cases the station may locate its file at its current main studio, 
and in other cases we expect that the selected local file location will 
be equally, if not more, convenient to residents as compared to the 
station's current main studio. For example, if a station previously 
maintained its main studio outside of its community of license, as 
permitted under the current rule, and the station chooses to cease 
operating that local studio as a result of this R&O, then it may be 
more convenient for community members to access the local file at a 
location within the community of license, as we require here.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \28\ In addition, we will not adopt the proposal of one 
commenter that we only permit stations to eliminate their current 
main studios if they make their public file available both online 
and at a business or library in the station's community of license. 
Given that it is sufficient for a station currently to make its 
public file available online only, we see no reason to require an 
additional means of access if the station eliminates its current 
main studio and its entire public file is available through the 
Commission's online public file.
    \29\ The deadline applies to NCE broadcast radio stations, 
commercial broadcast radio stations in the top 50 Nielsen Audio 
radio markets with fewer than five full-time employees, and 
commercial broadcast radio stations in markets below the top 50 or 
outside all markets.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    23. As a result of our repeal of the main studio rule, we also will 
make the following conforming rule revisions as shown in the Final 
Rules:
     In Sec.  1.80, delete the row of the chart detailing the 
base forfeiture amount for violations of the main studio rule.\30\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \30\ We will continue to rely on the base forfeiture amount of 
$7000 as a starting point in assessing a forfeiture for any 
violations of the main studio rule that occurred before the 
effective date of the elimination of the rule.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

     In Sec.  1.1104, delete the four rows detailing the 
schedule of charges for a ``Main Studio Request,'' and re-letter the 
remaining listings accordingly.
     In the definition of ``equipment performance 
measurements'' in Sec.  73.14 of our rules, delete ``at main studio.''
     Delete Sec.  73.761(d) of our rules, which currently 
governs formal applications for a change in main studio location, and 
renumber the remainder of the rule.
     In Sec.  73.1400(a)(1)(ii) of our rules, change the 
reference to ``the main studio or other location'' to ``a studio or 
other location.''
     Delete Sec.  73.1690(c)(8)(ii) of our rules, which 
currently states that both commercial and NCE FM stations must comply 
with the main studio rule, and renumber the remainder of the rule.
     Delete Sec.  73.1690(d)(1) of our rules, which currently 
governs permissive changes in studio location, and renumber the 
remainder of the rule.
     Modify Sec. Sec.  73.3526(b)(2)(ii) and 73.3527(b)(2)(iii) 
of our rules, which currently require the public file to include the 
station's main studio address and telephone number, instead to require 
the public file to include the station's address and telephone 
number.\31\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \31\ As stated above, the posted address should be a location at 
which the licensee may be contacted by mail and in person, for 
example, a studio, office, or headquarters.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

     Delete the reference to ``main studio'' in Sec. Sec.  
73.3526(e)(4) and 73.3527(e)(3) of our rules, which currently require 
inclusion of information showing service contours and/or main studio 
and transmitter location in the public file.
     Delete Sec.  73.3538(b)(2) of our rules, which currently 
governs informal applications to relocate a main studio, and renumber 
the remainder of the rule.
     Delete Sec.  73.3544(b)(3) of our rules, which currently 
governs informal applications for a change in location of the main 
studio, and renumber the remainder of the rule.\32\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \32\ We also adopt the proposal to delete the outdated reference 
in Sec.  73.1690(d)(2) to Sec.  73.1410, which has been deleted.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

[[Page 57881]]

     In the alphabetical index to part 73, delete the four rows 
that reference Sec.  73.1125.
    24. We also will delete Sec.  73.6000(3) of our rules and will 
require Class A stations to meet the required quantity of ``locally 
produced programming'' through programming that complies with Sec.  
73.6000(1) or (2). Consistent with the Community Broadcasters 
Protection Act of 1999, Sec.  73.6001(b)(2) requires Class A stations 
to broadcast an average of at least three hours of locally produced 
programming per week each quarter. Section 73.6000 defines locally 
produced programming for these purposes as programming that is:
    (1) Produced within the predicted Grade B contour of the station 
broadcasting the program or within the contiguous predicted Grade B 
contours of any of the stations in a commonly owned group; or
    (2) Produced within the predicted DTV noise-limited contour . . . 
of a digital Class A station broadcasting the program or within the 
contiguous predicted DTV noise-limited contours of any of the digital 
Class A stations in a commonly owned group; or
    (3) Programming produced at the station's main studio.

Upon deletion of the main studio rule, we find that it is appropriate 
to delete option (3). Options (1) and (2) are sufficiently broad that 
it should not be difficult for Class A stations to meet the required 
quantity of locally produced programming.\33\ Our approach will 
alleviate the concern of Free Press that eliminating the main studio 
rule would ``effectively nullify'' the Class A requirement pertaining 
to the quantity of locally produced programming.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \33\ The Commission grandfathered certain main studios that did 
not comply with the main studio rule when it implemented the 
Community Broadcasters Protection Act of 1999 creating the Class A 
service. For those Class A stations currently operating at 
grandfathered main studios that are outside the locations described 
in Sec.  73.6000(1)-(2) of our rules, we will continue to consider 
programming produced at that previously grandfathered main studio to 
be locally produced.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    25. As required by the Regulatory Flexibility Act of 1980, as 
amended (RFA), an Initial Regulatory Flexibility Analysis (IRFA) was 
incorporated in the NPRM. The Commission sought written public comments 
on proposals in the NPRM, including comment on the IRFA. The Commission 
received no comments on the IRFA, although some commenters discussed 
the effect of the proposals on smaller entities. The present Final 
Regulatory Flexibility Analysis (FRFA) conforms to the RFA. In summary, 
the R&O adopts the proposal to eliminate the Commission's main studio 
rule and existing requirements associated with the main studio rule. 
The R&O is authorized pursuant to sections 4(i), 4(j), 303, 307(b), and 
336(f) of the Communications Act of 1934, as amended, 47 U.S.C. 154(i), 
154(j), 303, 307(b), 336(f). The types of small entities that may be 
affected by the R&O fall within the following categories: Television 
Broadcasting, Radio Stations. The projected reporting, recordkeeping, 
and other compliance requirements are: (1) The elimination of the rule 
requiring each AM, FM, and television broadcast station to maintain a 
local main studio; (2) the elimination of the associated staffing and 
program origination capability requirements; (3) retention of the 
existing requirement that broadcasters maintain a local or toll-free 
telephone number; (4) a requirement that stations maintain any portion 
of their public file that is not part of the online public file at a 
publicly accessible location within the community of license, unless 
the current main studio is grandfathered as a permissible location for 
the station's local public file for the period before completion of the 
station's transition to the online public file because (a) the station 
currently maintains its local public file at a main studio that 
complies with the current main studio rule but is not within the 
station's community of license, or (b) the station has an existing 
waiver of the main studio rule that permits the station to maintain its 
public files at the station's main studio outside the community of 
license. The Chief Counsel for Advocacy of the Small Business 
Administration (SBA) did not file any comments in response to the 
proposed rules in this proceeding. Elimination of the existing 
requirements pertaining to the location of the main studio of each AM, 
FM, and television broadcast station, as well as the elimination of 
associated staffing and program origination requirements, will 
eliminate requirements that may be outdated and unnecessarily 
burdensome on all broadcast stations, including small entities. The 
Commission considered whether it should adopt additional requirements 
pertaining to publicizing or staffing the required telephone number or 
responding to time-sensitive or emergency information. While some 
commenters advocated such alternative approaches, the Commission 
concluded that the burdens of any such additional requirements are 
unjustified. Separately, while the Commission could simply adopt the 
requirement pertaining to the location of the public file, instead it 
has taken the alternate approach of providing broadcast stations with 
additional flexibility that will reduce costs by grandfathering certain 
existing studios as a permissible location for the station's local 
public file. In the R&O, the Commission explains its rejection of an 
alternate approach pursuant to which it could only eliminate the main 
studio rule for stations that have fully transitioned all public file 
material to the online public file material, stating that such an 
approach would disadvantage the smaller entities that may be most 
impacted by the costs of complying with the current main studio rule.
    26. This document contains new information collection requirements 
subject to the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA), Public Law 104-
13.\34\ It will be submitted to OMB for review under section 3507(d) of 
the PRA. In addition, we note that pursuant to the Small Business 
Paperwork Relief Act of 2002, Public Law 107-198, we previously sought 
specific comment on how the Commission might further reduce the 
information collection burden for small business concerns with fewer 
than 25 employees.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \34\ See attached Final Rules, revising Sec. Sec.  73.3526(c)(1) 
and 73.3527(c)(1) of our rules to add, ``The applicant, permittee, 
or licensee must provide information regarding the location of the 
file, or the applicable portion of the file, within one business day 
of a request for such information.'' In addition to those new 
information collection requirements, which we will submit to OMB via 
a non-substantive change request, following adoption of this R&O the 
Commission also will submit to the Office of Management and Budget 
(OMB) a notice of discontinuance to reflect the deletion of the main 
studio rule and its associated information collection requirements.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    27. The Commission will send a copy of this R&O in a report to be 
sent to Congress and the Government Accountability Office pursuant to 
the Congressional Review Act, see 5 U.S.C. 801(a)(1)(A).
    28. Accordingly, it is ordered that, pursuant to the authority 
found in sections 4(i), 4(j), 303, 307(b), and 336(f) of the 
Communications Act of 1934, as amended, 47 U.S.C. 154(i), 154(j), 303, 
307(b), and 336(f), this Report and Order is hereby adopted.
    29. It is further ordered that parts 1 and 73 of the Commission's 
rules, 47 CFR parts 1 and 73, are amended, and such rule amendments 
shall be effective January 8, 2018, except for Sec. Sec.  73.3526(c)(1) 
and 73.3527(c)(1), which contain new or modified information collection 
requirements, and which shall become effective after the Commission 
publishes a document in the Federal Register announcing OMB approval 
and the relevant effective date.

[[Page 57882]]

    30. It is further ordered that the Commission shall send a copy of 
this Report and Order in a report to be sent to Congress and the 
Government Accountability Office pursuant to the Congressional Review 
Act, see 5 U.S.C. 801(a)(1)(A).

List of Subjects

47 CFR Part 1

    Administrative practice and procedure, Penalties, Radio, Reporting 
and recordkeeping requirements, Television.

47 CFR Part 73

    Radio, Reporting and recordkeeping requirements, Television.

Federal Communications Commission.
Katura Jackson,
Federal Register Liaison Officer, Office of the Secretary.

Final Rules

    For the reasons discussed in the preamble, the Federal 
Communications Commission amends 47 CFR parts 1 and 73 as follows:

PART 1--PRACTICE AND PROCEDURE

0
1. The authority citation for part 1 continues to read as follows:

    Authority:  47 U.S.C. 151, 154(i), 154(j), 155, 157, 160, 201, 
225, 227, 303, 309, 310, 332, 1403, 1404, 1451, 1452, and 1455.


Sec.  1.80   [Amended]

0
2. In Sec.  1.80, the table titled ``Violations Unique to the Service'' 
is amended by removing the entry for ``Violation of main studio rule.''


Sec.  1.1104   [Amended]

0
3. In Sec.  1.1104, the table is amended as follows:
0
a. Under ``1. Commercial TV Services,'' remove the entry for ``c. Main 
Studio Request'' and redesignate entries ``d'' through ``k'' as entries 
``c'' through ``j;''
0
b. Under ``2. Commercial AM Radio Stations,'' remove the entry for ``c. 
Main Studio Request (per request)'' and redesignate entries ``d'' 
through ``l'' as entries ``c'' through ``k;''
0
c. Under ``3. Commercial FM Radio Stations,'' remove the entry for ``c. 
Main Studio Request (per request)'' and redesignate entries ``d'' 
through ``l'' as entries ``c'' through ``k;'' and
0
d. Under ``8. Class A TV Services,'' remove the entry for ``g. Main 
Studio Request'' and redesignate entry ``h'' as entry ``g.''

PART 73--RADIO BROADCAST SERVICES

0
4. The authority citation for part 73 continues to read as follows:

    Authority:  47 U.S.C. 154, 303, 309, 310, 334, 336, and 339.


0
5. In Sec.  73.14, revise the definition of ``Equipment performance 
measurements'' to read as follows:


Sec.  73.14   AM broadcast definitions.

* * * * *
    Equipment performance measurements. The measurements performed to 
determine the overall performance characteristics of a broadcast 
transmission system from point of program origination to sampling of 
signal as radiated. (See Sec.  73.1590)
* * * * *


Sec.  73.761   [Amended]

0
6. In Sec.  73.761, remove paragraph (d) and redesignate paragraphs (e) 
through (g) as paragraphs (d) through (f).

0
7. Revise Sec.  73.1125 to read as follows:


Sec.  73.1125   Station telephone number.

    Each AM, FM, TV, and Class A TV broadcast station shall maintain a 
local telephone number in its community of license or a toll-free 
number.

0
8. In Sec.  73.1400, revise paragraph (a)(1)(ii) to read as follows:


Sec.  73.1400   Transmission system monitoring and control.

* * * * *
    (a) * * *
    (1) * * *
    (ii) Remote control of the transmission system by a person at a 
studio or other location. The remote control system must provide 
sufficient transmission system monitoring and control capability so as 
to ensure compliance with Sec.  73.1350.
* * * * *

0
9. Amend Sec.  73.1690 as follows:
0
a. Revise paragraph (c)(8) introductory text;
0
b. Remove paragraph (c)(8)(ii);
0
c. Redesignate paragraphs (c)(8)(iii) through (vi) as paragraphs 
(c)(8)(ii) through (v);
0
d. Remove paragraph (d)(1);
0
e. Redesignate paragraphs (d)(2) and (3) as paragraphs (d)(1) and (2); 
and
0
f. Revise newly redesignated paragraph (d)(1).
    The revisions read as follows.


Sec.  73.1690   Modification of transmission systems.

* * * * *
    (c) * * *
    (8) FM commercial stations and FM noncommercial educational 
stations may decrease ERP on a modification of license application 
provided that exhibits are included to demonstrate that all five of the 
following requirements are met:
* * * * *
    (d) * * *
    (1) Commencement of remote control operation pursuant to Sec.  
73.1400.
* * * * *

0
10. In Sec.  73.3526:
0
a. Revise paragraphs (b)(1) and (2);
0
b. In paragraph (b)(3)(i), remove ``the station'' and add in its place 
``an accessible place in the community of license''; and
0
c. Revise paragraphs (b)(3)(ii) and (iii), (c)(1), (c)(2) introductory 
text, and (e)(4).
    The revisions read as follows:


Sec.  73.3526   Local public inspection file of commercial stations.

* * * * *
    (b) * * *
    (1) For radio licensees temporarily exempt from the online public 
file hosted by the Commission, as discussed in paragraph (b)(2) of this 
section, a hard copy of the public inspection file shall be maintained 
at an accessible place in the community of license, unless the licensee 
elects voluntarily to place the file online as discussed in paragraph 
(b)(2) of this section. An applicant for a new station or change of 
community shall maintain its file at an accessible place in the 
proposed community of license. If as of January 8, 2018 a broadcast 
station maintains a hard copy of all or a portion of its public 
inspection file at a main studio that either complied with the 
Commission's main studio rule (47 CFR 73.1125 (2016)) but is not within 
the station's community of license, or was deemed a permissible 
location for the station's public inspection file pursuant to a waiver 
of the main studio rule, and if the station retains that studio, then 
that studio is a permissible location for the station's hard copy 
public inspection file. Any reference in this section to ``an 
accessible place in the community of license'' shall be deemed to 
include such a studio.
    (2)(i) A television station licensee or applicant, and any radio 
station licensee or applicant not temporarily exempt as described in 
this paragraph (b)(2)(i), shall place the contents required by 
paragraph (e) of this section of its public inspection file in the 
online public file hosted by the Commission, with the exception of the 
political file as required by paragraph (e)(6) of this section, as 
discussed in paragraph (b)(3) of this

[[Page 57883]]

section. Any radio station not in the top 50 Nielsen Audio markets, and 
any radio station with fewer than five full-time employees, shall 
continue to retain the public inspection file at an accessible place in 
the community of license in the manner discussed in paragraph (b)(1) of 
this section until March 1, 2018. However, any radio station that is 
not required to place its public inspection file in the online public 
file hosted by the Commission before March 1, 2018 may choose to do so, 
instead of retaining the public inspection file at an accessible place 
in the community of license in the manner discussed in paragraph (b)(1) 
of this section.
    (ii) A station must provide a link to the public inspection file 
hosted on the Commission's Web site from the home page of its own Web 
site, if the station has a Web site, and provide contact information on 
its Web site for a station representative that can assist any person 
with disabilities with issues related to the content of the public 
files. A station also is required to include in the online public file 
the station's address and telephone number, and the email address of 
the station's designated contact for questions about the public file. 
To the extent this section refers to the local public inspection file, 
it refers to the public file of an individual station, which is either 
maintained at an accessible place in the community of license or on the 
Commission's Web site, depending upon where the documents are required 
to be maintained under the Commission's rules.
    (3) * * *
    (ii) Any television station not in the top 50 DMAs, and any station 
not affiliated with one of the top four broadcast networks, regardless 
of the size of the market it serves, shall continue to retain the 
political file at the station in the manner discussed in paragraph 
(b)(1) of this section until July 1, 2014. For these stations, 
effective July 1, 2014, any new political file material shall be placed 
in the online file hosted by the Commission, while the material in the 
political file as of July 1, 2014, if not placed in the Commission's 
Web site, shall continue to be retained at the station in the manner 
discussed in paragraph (b)(1) of this section until the end of its 
retention period. However, any station that is not required to place 
its political file in the online file hosted by the Commission before 
July 1, 2014 may choose to do so, instead of retaining the political 
file at the station in the manner discussed in paragraph (b)(1) of this 
section. For purposes of this paragraph (b)(3)(ii), the ``manner 
discussed in paragraph (b)(1) of this section'' refers to maintaining a 
hard copy of the public inspection file at the main studio of the 
station as described in paragraph (b)(1) prior to January 8, 2018. See 
47 CFR 73.3526(b)(1) (2016).
    (iii) Any radio station not in the top 50 Nielsen Audio markets, 
and any radio station with fewer than five full-time employees, shall 
continue to retain the political file at an accessible place in the 
community of license in the manner discussed in paragraph (b)(1) of 
this section until March 1, 2018. For these stations, effective March 
1, 2018, any new political file material shall be placed in the online 
public file hosted by the Commission, while the material already 
existing in the political file as of March 1, 2018, if not placed in 
the online public file hosted by the Commission, shall continue to be 
retained at an accessible place in the community of license in the 
manner discussed in paragraph (b)(1) of this section until the end of 
its retention period. However, any station that is not required to 
place its political file on the Commission's Web site before March 1, 
2018, may choose to do so, instead of retaining the political file at 
an accessible place in the community of license in the manner discussed 
in paragraph (b)(1) of this section.
* * * * *
    (c) * * *
    (1) For any applicant, permittee, or licensee that does not include 
all material described in paragraph (e) of this section in the online 
public file hosted by the Commission, the portion of the file that is 
not included in the online public file shall be available for public 
inspection at any time during regular business hours at an accessible 
place in the community of license. The applicant, permittee, or 
licensee must provide information regarding the location of the file, 
or the applicable portion of the file, within one business day of a 
request for such information. All or part of the file may be maintained 
in a computer database, as long as a computer terminal is made 
available, at the location of the file, to members of the public who 
wish to review the file. Material in the public inspection file shall 
be made available for printing or machine reproduction upon request 
made in person. The applicant, permittee, or licensee may specify the 
location for printing or reproduction, require the requesting party to 
pay the reasonable cost thereof, and may require guarantee of payment 
in advance (e.g., by requiring a deposit, obtaining credit card 
information, or any other reasonable method). Requests for copies shall 
be fulfilled within a reasonable period of time, which generally should 
not exceed 7 days.
    (2) The applicant, permittee, or licensee who maintains its public 
file outside its community of license (see paragraph (b)(1) of this 
section) shall:
* * * * *
    (e) * * *
    (4) Contour maps. A copy of any service contour maps, submitted 
with any application tendered for filing with the FCC, together with 
any other information in the application showing service contours and/
or transmitter location (State, county, city, street address, or other 
identifying information). These documents shall be retained for as long 
as they reflect current, accurate information regarding the station.
* * * * *

0
11. In Sec.  73.3527, revise paragraphs (b)(1) and (2), (c)(1), (c)(2) 
introductory text, and (e)(3) to read as follows:


Sec.  73.3527   Local public inspection file of noncommercial 
educational stations.

* * * * *
    (b) * * *
    (1) For radio licensees, a hard copy of the public inspection file 
shall be maintained at an accessible place in the community of license 
until March 1, 2018, except that, as discussed in paragraph (b)(2)(ii) 
of this section, any radio station may voluntarily place its public 
inspection file in the online public file hosted by the Commission 
before March 1, 2018, if it chooses to do so, instead of retaining the 
file at an accessible place in the community of license. An applicant 
for a new station or change of community shall maintain its file at an 
accessible place in the proposed community of license. If as of January 
8, 2018 a broadcast station maintains a hard copy of all or a portion 
of its public inspection file at a main studio that either complied 
with the Commission's main studio rule (47 CFR 73.1125 (2016)) but is 
not within the station's community of license, or was deemed a 
permissible location for the station's public inspection file pursuant 
to a waiver of the main studio rule, and if the station retains that 
studio, then that studio is a permissible location for the station's 
hard copy public inspection file. Any reference in this section to ``an 
accessible place in the community of license'' shall be deemed to 
include such a studio.
    (2)(i) A noncommercial educational television station licensee or 
applicant shall place the contents required by paragraph (e) of this 
section of its public inspection file in the online public file

[[Page 57884]]

hosted by the Commission, with the exception of the political file as 
required by paragraph (e)(5) of this section, which may be retained at 
the station in the manner discussed in paragraph (b)(1) of this section 
until July 1, 2014. Effective July 1, 2014, any new political file 
material shall be placed in the online public file hosted by the 
Commission, while the material in the political file as of July 1, 
2014, if not placed in the Commission's online public file, shall 
continue to be retained at the station in the manner discussed in 
paragraph (b)(1) of this section until the end of its retention period. 
However, any noncommercial educational station that is not required to 
place its political file in the online public file hosted by the 
Commission before July 1, 2014 may choose to do so instead of retaining 
the political file at the station in the manner discussed in paragraph 
(b)(1) of this section. For purposes of this paragraph (b)(2)(i), the 
``manner discussed in paragraph (b)(1) of this section'' refers to 
maintaining a hard copy of the public inspection file at the main 
studio of the station as described in paragraph (b)(1) prior to January 
8, 2018. See 47 CFR 73.3527(b)(1) (2016).
    (ii) Beginning March 1, 2018, noncommercial educational radio 
station licensees and applicants shall place the contents required by 
paragraph (e) of this section in the online public inspection file 
hosted by the Commission. For these stations, effective March 1, 2018, 
any new political file material shall be placed in the Commission's 
online public file, while the material in the political file as of 
March 1, 2018, if not placed in the Commission's online public file, 
shall continue to be retained at an accessible place in the community 
of license in the manner discussed in paragraph (b)(1) of this section 
until the end of its retention period. However, any radio station that 
is not required to place its public inspection file in the online 
public file hosted by the Commission before March 1, 2018, may choose 
to do so, instead of retaining the public inspection file at an 
accessible place in the community of license in the manner discussed in 
paragraph (b)(1) of this section.?>
    (iii) A station must provide a link to the online public inspection 
file hosted by the Commission from the home page of its own Web site, 
if the station has a Web site, and provide contact information for a 
station representative on its Web site that can assist any person with 
disabilities with issues related to the content of the public files. A 
station also is required to include in the online public file hosted by 
the Commission the station's address and telephone number, and the 
email address of the station's designated contact for questions about 
the public file. To the extent this section refers to the local public 
inspection file, it refers to the public file of an individual station, 
which is either maintained at an accessible place in the community of 
license or on the Commission's Web site, depending upon where the 
documents are required to be maintained under the Commission's rules.
* * * * *
    (c) * * *
    (1) For any applicant, permittee, or licensee that does not include 
all material described in paragraph (e) of this section in the online 
public file hosted by the Commission, the portion of the file that is 
not included in the online public file shall be available for public 
inspection at any time during regular business hours at an accessible 
place in the community of license. The applicant, permittee, or 
licensee must provide information regarding the location of the file, 
or the applicable portion of the file, within one business day of a 
request for such information. All or part of the file may be maintained 
in a computer database, as long as a computer terminal is made 
available, at the location of the file, to members of the public who 
wish to review the file. Material in the public inspection file shall 
be made available for printing or machine reproduction upon request 
made in person. The applicant, permittee, or licensee may specify the 
location for printing or reproduction, require the requesting party to 
pay the reasonable cost thereof, and may require guarantee of payment 
in advance (e.g., by requiring a deposit, obtaining credit card 
information, or any other reasonable method). Requests for copies shall 
be fulfilled within a reasonable period of time, which generally should 
not exceed 7 days.
    (2) The applicant, permittee, or licensee who maintains its public 
file outside its community of license (see paragraph (b)(1) of this 
section) shall:
* * * * *
    (e) * * *
    (3) Contour maps. A copy of any service contour maps, submitted 
with any application tendered for filing with the FCC, together with 
any other information in the application showing service contours and/
or transmitter location (State, county, city, street address, or other 
identifying information). These documents shall be retained for as long 
as they reflect current, accurate information regarding the station.
* * * * *

0
12. In Sec.  73.3538, revise paragraph (b) to read as follows:


Sec.  73.3538   Application to make changes in an existing station.

* * * * *
    (b) An informal application filed in accordance with Sec.  73.3511 
is to be used to obtain authority to modify or discontinue the 
obstruction marking or lighting of the antenna supporting structure 
where that specified on the station authorization either differs from 
that specified in 47 CFR part 17, or is not appropriate for other 
reasons.


Sec.  73.3544   [Amended]

0
13. In Sec.  73.3544, remove paragraph (b)(3) and redesignate paragraph 
(b)(4) as paragraph (b)(3).

0
14. Revise Sec.  73.6000 to read as follows:


Sec.  73.6000   Definitions.

    For the purpose of this subpart, the following definition applies:
    Locally produced programming is programming:
    (1) Produced within the predicted Grade B contour of the station 
broadcasting the program or within the contiguous predicted Grade B 
contours of any of the stations in a commonly owned group; or
    (2) Produced within the predicted DTV noise-limited contour (see 
Sec.  73.622(e)) of a digital Class A station broadcasting the program 
or within the contiguous predicted DTV noise-limited contours of any of 
the digital Class A stations in a commonly owned group.

    Note to Sec.  73.6000: See Report and Order, In the Matter of 
Establishment of a Class A Television Service, MM Docket No. 00-10, 
released April 4, 2000; Memorandum Opinion and Order on 
Reconsideration, In the Matter of Establishment of a Class A 
Television Service, MM Docket No. 00-10, released April 13, 2001; 
Report and Order, In the Matter of Elimination of Main Studio Rule, 
MB Docket No. 17-106, released October 24, 2017.

Alphabetical Index--[Amended]

0
15. In the alphabetical index for part 73, remove the entries for 
``Location, Main studio,'' ``Main studio location,'' ``Station, main 
studio location,'' and ``Studio location, Main.''

[FR Doc. 2017-24982 Filed 12-7-17; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 6712-01-P
57878 Federal Register / Vol. 82, No. 235 / Friday, December 8, 2017 / Rules and Regulations

the main studio requirement will not 12. We find that decisions regarding Conversely, the Commission has
prevent compliance with the location and number of staff members recognized for decades that non-locally
distribution directive in section 307(b) should be left to broadcast licensees.14 produced programming can serve the
of the Act. Although we acknowledge that needs of a community. Those statements
10. We note that the Commission or elimination of the main studio staffing are only more true today. Technology
Media Bureau has previously granted requirement possibly could lead to makes it easier than ever before to
waivers of the main studio rule. Our fewer employees available to interact originate locally relevant programming
decision to eliminate the main studio person to person at the physical station from locations outside of the station’s
requirement supersedes these waiver office, we have explained above that community of license, and the existence
grants, including pledges that the technology enables broadcasters to of technology that enables stations to
licensees made in connection with those interact with the local community and provide local broadcast coverage
waivers, with one exception discussed to broadcast information about local without a local main studio also moots
below.13 Accordingly, as of the effective events even without a local main studio. concerns that licensees need a local
date of the rules adopted in this R&O, Eliminating the main studio main studio to broadcast emergency
stations that have previously received a requirement and associated staffing information.
waiver of the main studio rule must requirement promotes our statutory 14. There is no evidence in the record
comply with the Commission’s rules, goals by allowing broadcasters to that the current program origination
including the requirement to maintain a allocate greater resources to capability requirement has enhanced
local or toll-free number, rather than the programming and other matters, local programming or otherwise served
licensee pledges, if any, associated with promoting increased broadcast service the public interest. Commenters state
their superseded waiver grants. Upon in small towns and rural areas, and that many broadcasters that currently
the elimination of the main studio rule, preventing stations from going dark. To originate programming locally will
it would not make sense to continue the extent commenters express concerns continue to do so in the absence of the
subjecting stations to the commitments about potential job loss following the current program origination capability
they made in obtaining a waiver of the elimination of the main studio rule and requirement. In any case, it appears that
main studio rule, including any related the associated staffing requirement, we the location from which programming is
recordkeeping requirements. do not believe we are required to originated is irrelevant to whether the
11. In addition to eliminating the disregard our statutory goals to prevent programing serves a community’s needs
main studio rule itself, we adopt our such loss. Further, preventing stations and interests. We agree with broadcast
NPRM proposal to eliminate the staffing from going dark and enabling commenters ‘‘that a licensee’s
requirements currently associated with broadcasters to launch stations that they understanding of the needs and
the rule. This will provide broadcasters otherwise may not launch may promote concerns of its station’s audience,’’ not
with more flexibility to staff their employment. the physical location of its studio or
operations as they see fit. Pursuant to 13. In addition to the foregoing, we program production equipment,
Commission precedent, there currently also adopt our NPRM proposal to ‘‘promotes the broadcast of issue-
must be two employees (one eliminate the program origination responsive programming.’’ 16
management and one staff) present on a capability requirement currently 15. As proposed in the NPRM, we
full-time basis at a main studio during associated with the main studio rule. retain § 73.1125(e) of our rules, which
normal business hours. Given the This will provide broadcasters greater requires ‘‘[e]ach AM, FM, TV and Class
technological advances that enable flexibility with respect to their A TV broadcast station [to] maintain a
remote monitoring and control of programming operations. Pursuant to local telephone number in its
broadcast stations, commenters attest Commission precedent, the main studio community of license or a toll-free
that some main studio employees have currently must be capable of number.’’ NAB supports this
nothing to do but sit at the main studio transmitting programming and must be requirement, which it says ‘‘keep[s] the
in fulfillment of this requirement. equipped with production and community well-informed and [is] not
Commenters persuasively state that it transmission facilities. When the unduly burdensome.’’ The telephone
can be difficult for small or rural Commission decided thirty years ago to number rule permits station owners to
stations and for financially-challenged eliminate its rule requiring stations to provide one telephone number for
AM stations to support two full-time actually originate programming at their multiple stations, provided that the
employees. For example, station main studios, it concluded that ‘‘the number is toll-free or local to each
KIHT(FM) is licensed to Amboy, main studio no longer plays the central station’s community of license.17 Some
California (population: four) and serves role in the production of a station’s consumers are subject to an additional
motorists traveling through the Mojave programming and programming fee for non-local calls, and we thus
Desert. One employee travels over an originated from within the political retain the requirement for a local or toll-
hour each way each day to staff the boundaries of the community is not free number. Retaining the telephone
main studio. necessarily responsive to the needs and number rule will help promote
interests of the community.’’ 15 continued access to local broadcast
requirement is misplaced because ‘‘[t]he
Commission effectively abandoned this definition
of transmission service when it eliminated the
14 We caution that the deletion of the main studio broadcast station to originate more than 50 percent
program origination requirement.’’ rule does not in any way limit or reduce broadcast of its non-network programs from its main studio
13 The main studio waiver grants are superseded licensees’ obligation and responsibility to retain or other points within its community of license.
by this R&O because there will no longer be a main and maintain control over essential station matters, 16 For this reason, we reject the assertion that a
sradovich on DSK3GMQ082PROD with RULES

studio rule to be waived. Given that waivers of the such as personnel, programming, and finances. The main studio’s most important function is program
main studio rule will no longer be necessary, we Commission expects that broadcast licensees will origination capability.
need not address one commenter’s claim that the continue to be able to demonstrate such control 17 Implicit in the requirement to maintain a local

current waiver process leads to an unfair and notwithstanding the elimination of the main studio or toll-free number is the requirement that phone
inefficient distribution of radio services. Below we rule and the staffing requirements associated with calls made to this number be answered during
explain one type of main studio waiver for which the main studio rule. business hours. We encourage broadcasters to use
we will grandfather the station’s current main 15 In that order, the Commission recognized the voicemail or another way for consumers to leave
studio as a permissible location for its local public limited utility of the program origination messages outside of stations’ normal business
file. requirement by deleting its rule requiring each hours.

VerDate Sep<11>2014 16:24 Dec 07, 2017 Jkt 244001 PO 00000 Frm 00060 Fmt 4700 Sfmt 4700 E:\FR\FM\08DER1.SGM 08DER1
Federal Register / Vol. 82, No. 235 / Friday, December 8, 2017 / Rules and Regulations 57879

stations by community members upon requirements, other commenters upload their existing public file
elimination of the main studio rule.18 persuasively explain that broadcasters documents to the online file by that
We find that retaining the existing rule already have processes in place to date, except for existing political file
is an appropriate means to ensure that ensure that station personnel are material which they may either upload
members of the public can easily available to receive and broadcast time- or maintain locally until the expiration
contact station representatives and sensitive emergency information. On of the two-year retention period for such
receive timely responses.19 balance, we conclude that the adoption political file material. In other words,
16. Stations currently are required to of additional rules would not community members already have
post their telephone numbers in their necessarily improve broadcasters’ online access to television station public
online public files.20 We retain that responsiveness to local emergencies, files, and by March 1, 2018 they will
requirement and do not require stations and we thus find that there is no have online access to radio station
to publicize their phone numbers in any evidence that the cost of such public files, with the potential
additional ways. We agree with obligations would be justified by any exception of preexisting portions of the
commenters that broadcasters have purported benefits. political file that the station may retain
extensive marketplace incentives and 18. As discussed below, and as locally until the expiration of the two-
license obligations to be accessible and supported by NAB and other year retention period for such materials.
responsive to their audience, and we broadcasters, we require every broadcast 19. Nonetheless, we recognize the
note that telephone numbers by their station applicant, permittee, or licensee need to ensure that community
nature generally are accessible in other to maintain any portion of its public file members have local access to a station’s
ways. Broadcasters will retain the that is not part of the online public file public file for any timeframe during
flexibility to determine whether they at an accessible place within its which all or a portion of that file is not
want to publicize their telephone community of license. Pursuant to the available via the online public file.
numbers in additional ways. For Commission’s online public file rules, Accordingly, we require every broadcast
example, most stations already choose in the very near future there will be only station applicant, permittee, or licensee
to post their telephone numbers on their limited instances in which any portion to maintain any portion of its public file
Web sites. of a station’s public inspection file will that is not part of the online public file
17. Furthermore, in the NPRM, the be permitted to be maintained at the at an accessible place within its
Commission sought comment on station’s main studio rather than community of license. NAB and other
whether additional requirements are online.22 In 2012, the Commission broadcasters support this approach. The
needed to ensure that broadcasters are adopted rules requiring television ‘‘accessible place’’ could be a station
responsive to time-sensitive and broadcasters to utilize an online public office or studio, if it is located within
emergency information. Because file hosted by the Commission, rather the community of license, or it could be
broadcasters already coordinate with than maintaining the public file locally, a different location such as a local
federal, state, and local emergency and television stations completed their library or another station’s office or
management officials, as well as law transition to the online public file in studio. The file must be available for
enforcement officials, to address 2014. In 2016, the Commission adopted public inspection at any time during
emergencies that occur at any time of rules expanding the online public file regular business hours, as is currently
day, we conclude that there is no need requirement to broadcast radio the case with regard to access to a
to adopt additional requirements licensees. As of June 24, 2016, public file maintained at a station’s
pertaining to broadcast station commercial broadcast radio stations in main studio.24 If a station has
responsiveness to time-sensitive or the top 50 Nielsen Audio radio markets
emergency information.21 While some transitioned to the online public file
with five or more full-time employees
commenters reference such with the exception of its existing
were required to place new public and
political file materials, which certain
political file documents in the online
18 We recognize that there is some cost to stations stations may maintain locally until the
public file on a going-forward basis. By
of maintaining a local or toll-free telephone two-year retention period expires as
December 24, 2016, these entities were
number, but we find that on balance the relatively discussed above, then the station must
limited cost is outweighed by the benefit of required to upload their existing public
maintain a copy of its existing political
ensuring that the station remains accessible to local file documents to the online file, except
community members. file materials at an accessible place
for existing political file material which
19 NFIB has proposed instead that the within its community of license until it
they may either upload or maintain
Commission adopt a functional requirement that is no longer required to retain those
each station ‘‘ensure that persons in its community locally until the expiration of the two-
materials.25 We note that any station
of license have a reasonable opportunity to year retention period for such political
communicate with the station through at least one file material. Beginning March 1, 2018, 24 The other requirements of existing
generally available means of communication at no
charge.’’ We find that such an approach would be all other broadcast radio stations 23 must §§ 73.3526(c)(1) and 73.3527(c)(1) of our rules also
unworkable for consumers who do not use email place new public and political file will apply to the selected location of the public file
and thus would have no way to contact a station documents in the online public file on within the community of license. Sections
if the station eliminates its local main studio. 73.3526(b) and 73.3527(b) of our rules currently
Accordingly, maintenance of the current telephone
a going-forward basis. They must also contain multiple references to the hard copy public
number requirement is a more practical approach. inspection file maintained at a station or at the
20 These rules also currently require a station to 22 Sections 73.3526(e) and 73.3527(e) of the station’s main studio, and we will revise this
include its main studio address, and as discussed Commission’s rules set forth the required contents language instead to reference retention of the file at
below we modify them to require the public file to of the station’s public inspection file. These an accessible place in the community of license
include the station’s address (rather than its main contents include the ‘‘political file,’’ which consists (with the exception of references that are limited to
sradovich on DSK3GMQ082PROD with RULES

studio address). The posted address should be a of the records required to be maintained under timeframes in the past).
location at which the licensee may be contacted by § 73.1943 of our rules concerning broadcasts by 25 Urban One states, ‘‘a radio station that has

mail and in person, for example, a studio, office, candidates for public office. voluntarily uploaded all political materials that are
or headquarters. 23 This includes NCE broadcast radio stations, required to be maintained to its online file should
21 Nothing in this R&O is intended to alter the commercial broadcast radio stations in the top 50 have no obligation to make public file material
obligation on licensees to post a written document Nielsen Audio radio markets with fewer than five available other than online.’’ As explained above,
designating the station’s Chief Operator along with full-time employees, and commercial broadcast certain stations may locally retain political file
the posted copy of the station’s license, as set forth radio stations in markets below the top 50 or materials that were existing as of a certain date,
in 47 CFR 73.1870(b)(3). outside all markets. Continued

VerDate Sep<11>2014 16:24 Dec 07, 2017 Jkt 244001 PO 00000 Frm 00061 Fmt 4700 Sfmt 4700 E:\FR\FM\08DER1.SGM 08DER1
57880 Federal Register / Vol. 82, No. 235 / Friday, December 8, 2017 / Rules and Regulations

that wishes to avoid this requirement available at an accessible place in the 23. As a result of our repeal of the
has the option to instead fully transition community to provide that location on main studio rule, we also will make the
to the Commission’s online public file their Web site, if they have a Web site, following conforming rule revisions as
system. and by any other means that the station shown in the Final Rules:
20. In addition, if a broadcast station deems effective. • In § 1.80, delete the row of the chart
currently maintains its local public file 22. In the NPRM, the Commission detailing the base forfeiture amount for
at a main studio that complies with the sought comment on whether violations of the main studio rule.30
current main studio rule but is not alternatively it should only eliminate • In § 1.1104, delete the four rows
within the station’s community of the main studio rule for stations that detailing the schedule of charges for a
license, and if the station retains that have fully transitioned all public file ‘‘Main Studio Request,’’ and re-letter the
studio, we will grandfather that studio material to the online public file, remaining listings accordingly.
as a permissible location for the including existing political file • In the definition of ‘‘equipment
station’s local public file for the period materials. While some commenters performance measurements’’ in § 73.14
before completion of the station’s support this alternate approach, we of our rules, delete ‘‘at main studio.’’
transition to the online public file.26
Similarly, some existing waivers of the
agree with NAB that we should not limit • Delete § 73.761(d) of our rules,
in this manner the public interest which currently governs formal
main studio rule permit stations to benefits that will follow the elimination
maintain their public files at the applications for a change in main studio
of the main studio rule.28 The later location, and renumber the remainder of
station’s main studio outside the March 1, 2018 online public file
community of license.27 We also will the rule.
deadline generally applies to smaller • In § 73.1400(a)(1)(ii) of our rules,
grandfather any such studio as a
stations.29 Some of these entities may be change the reference to ‘‘the main studio
permissible location for the station’s
most adversely impacted by the costs of or other location’’ to ‘‘a studio or other
local public file for the period before
complying with the current main studio location.’’
completion of the station’s transition to
rule, and we conclude that we should • Delete § 73.1690(c)(8)(ii) of our
the online public file. This approach
not disadvantage them by denying them rules, which currently states that both
will ensure that stations with current
the benefits of the repeal of the rule. As commercial and NCE FM stations must
waivers do not face increased burdens
discussed above, the costs savings of comply with the main studio rule, and
as a result of the elimination of the main
eliminating the rule will be significant renumber the remainder of the rule.
studio rule.
and will apply to all types of broadcast
21. A community member seeking • Delete § 73.1690(d)(1) of our rules,
access to a station’s public inspection stations. Given our decision to require
which currently governs permissive
file in the community of license may maintenance of paper files at an
changes in studio location, and
contact the station to inquire as to the accessible location in the community if
renumber the remainder of the rule.
they are not available via the online
location of the file, for example via its
public file, the benefits of retaining the • Modify §§ 73.3526(b)(2)(ii) and
required telephone number or email. 73.3527(b)(2)(iii) of our rules, which
Stations must promptly provide main studio rule for those stations that
do not use the online public file would currently require the public file to
information regarding the location of the include the station’s main studio
file within one business day of a be minimal, if they exist at all. Indeed,
in many cases the station may locate its address and telephone number, instead
request. In addition, we encourage to require the public file to include the
stations that make public file materials file at its current main studio, and in
other cases we expect that the selected station’s address and telephone
local file location will be equally, if not number.31
rather than uploading them to the online public file,
more, convenient to residents as • Delete the reference to ‘‘main
until the expiration of the two-year retention period
for those materials. To the extent Urban One is compared to the station’s current main studio’’ in §§ 73.3526(e)(4) and
arguing that we should permit stations to include studio. For example, if a station 73.3527(e)(3) of our rules, which
new political file materials in the online public file,
previously maintained its main studio currently require inclusion of
but not to make existing political file materials information showing service contours
available either locally or through the online public outside of its community of license, as
file, we disagree. To the contrary, we find that it permitted under the current rule, and and/or main studio and transmitter
is important to ensure that community members the station chooses to cease operating location in the public file.
have local access to all portions of the public
that local studio as a result of this R&O, • Delete § 73.3538(b)(2) of our rules,
inspection file that are not part of the online public
file. If it is too inconvenient or costly to maintain then it may be more convenient for which currently governs informal
these materials locally, then a station may choose community members to access the local applications to relocate a main studio,
to post them to the online public file instead. In file at a location within the community and renumber the remainder of the rule.
addition, we note that a change to the material that
of license, as we require here. • Delete § 73.3544(b)(3) of our rules,
is required to be part of a station’s public file is
outside the scope of this proceeding. which currently governs informal
26 Sections 73.3526(c)(2) and 73.3527(c)(2) of our 28 In addition, we will not adopt the proposal of applications for a change in location of
rules currently govern access to material in the one commenter that we only permit stations to the main studio, and renumber the
public file by mail where the applicant, permittee, eliminate their current main studios if they make remainder of the rule.32
or licensee maintains its main studio and public file their public file available both online and at a
outside its community of license. These current business or library in the station’s community of
30 We will continue to rely on the base forfeiture
rules will remain in place, but we will delete the license. Given that it is sufficient for a station
phrase ‘‘main studio and,’’ such that the provisions currently to make its public file available online amount of $7000 as a starting point in assessing a
will be triggered if an applicant, permittee, or only, we see no reason to require an additional forfeiture for any violations of the main studio rule
that occurred before the effective date of the
sradovich on DSK3GMQ082PROD with RULES

licensee maintains its public file outside its means of access if the station eliminates its current
community of license because the station’s studio main studio and its entire public file is available elimination of the rule.
is grandfathered as a permissible location for the through the Commission’s online public file. 31 As stated above, the posted address should be

file, as discussed herein. 29 The deadline applies to NCE broadcast radio a location at which the licensee may be contacted
27 Some main studio waivers reference a licensee stations, commercial broadcast radio stations in the by mail and in person, for example, a studio, office,
pledge to maintain the public file in the community top 50 Nielsen Audio radio markets with fewer than or headquarters.
of license, while others permit the licensee to five full-time employees, and commercial broadcast 32 We also adopt the proposal to delete the

maintain the public file at the main studio subject radio stations in markets below the top 50 or outdated reference in § 73.1690(d)(2) to § 73.1410,
to the waiver. outside all markets. which has been deleted.

VerDate Sep<11>2014 16:24 Dec 07, 2017 Jkt 244001 PO 00000 Frm 00062 Fmt 4700 Sfmt 4700 E:\FR\FM\08DER1.SGM 08DER1
Federal Register / Vol. 82, No. 235 / Friday, December 8, 2017 / Rules and Regulations 57881

• In the alphabetical index to part 73, main studio rule and existing taken the alternate approach of
delete the four rows that reference requirements associated with the main providing broadcast stations with
§ 73.1125. studio rule. The R&O is authorized additional flexibility that will reduce
24. We also will delete § 73.6000(3) of pursuant to sections 4(i), 4(j), 303, costs by grandfathering certain existing
our rules and will require Class A 307(b), and 336(f) of the studios as a permissible location for the
stations to meet the required quantity of Communications Act of 1934, as station’s local public file. In the R&O,
‘‘locally produced programming’’ amended, 47 U.S.C. 154(i), 154(j), 303, the Commission explains its rejection of
through programming that complies 307(b), 336(f). The types of small an alternate approach pursuant to which
with § 73.6000(1) or (2). Consistent with entities that may be affected by the R&O it could only eliminate the main studio
the Community Broadcasters Protection fall within the following categories: rule for stations that have fully
Act of 1999, § 73.6001(b)(2) requires Television Broadcasting, Radio Stations. transitioned all public file material to
Class A stations to broadcast an average The projected reporting, recordkeeping, the online public file material, stating
of at least three hours of locally and other compliance requirements are: that such an approach would
produced programming per week each (1) The elimination of the rule requiring disadvantage the smaller entities that
quarter. Section 73.6000 defines locally each AM, FM, and television broadcast may be most impacted by the costs of
produced programming for these station to maintain a local main studio; complying with the current main studio
purposes as programming that is: (2) the elimination of the associated rule.
(1) Produced within the predicted staffing and program origination 26. This document contains new
Grade B contour of the station capability requirements; (3) retention of information collection requirements
broadcasting the program or within the subject to the Paperwork Reduction Act
the existing requirement that
contiguous predicted Grade B contours of 1995 (PRA), Public Law 104–13.34 It
broadcasters maintain a local or toll-free
of any of the stations in a commonly will be submitted to OMB for review
telephone number; (4) a requirement
owned group; or under section 3507(d) of the PRA. In
that stations maintain any portion of
(2) Produced within the predicted addition, we note that pursuant to the
their public file that is not part of the
DTV noise-limited contour . . . of a Small Business Paperwork Relief Act of
online public file at a publicly
digital Class A station broadcasting the 2002, Public Law 107–198, we
accessible location within the
program or within the contiguous previously sought specific comment on
community of license, unless the
predicted DTV noise-limited contours of how the Commission might further
current main studio is grandfathered as
any of the digital Class A stations in a reduce the information collection
a permissible location for the station’s burden for small business concerns with
commonly owned group; or local public file for the period before
(3) Programming produced at the fewer than 25 employees.
completion of the station’s transition to 27. The Commission will send a copy
station’s main studio. the online public file because (a) the of this R&O in a report to be sent to
Upon deletion of the main studio rule, station currently maintains its local Congress and the Government
we find that it is appropriate to delete public file at a main studio that Accountability Office pursuant to the
option (3). Options (1) and (2) are complies with the current main studio Congressional Review Act, see 5 U.S.C.
sufficiently broad that it should not be rule but is not within the station’s 801(a)(1)(A).
difficult for Class A stations to meet the community of license, or (b) the station 28. Accordingly, it is ordered that,
required quantity of locally produced has an existing waiver of the main pursuant to the authority found in
programming.33 Our approach will studio rule that permits the station to sections 4(i), 4(j), 303, 307(b), and 336(f)
alleviate the concern of Free Press that maintain its public files at the station’s of the Communications Act of 1934, as
eliminating the main studio rule would main studio outside the community of amended, 47 U.S.C. 154(i), 154(j), 303,
‘‘effectively nullify’’ the Class A license. The Chief Counsel for Advocacy 307(b), and 336(f), this Report and Order
requirement pertaining to the quantity of the Small Business Administration is hereby adopted.
of locally produced programming. (SBA) did not file any comments in 29. It is further ordered that parts 1
25. As required by the Regulatory response to the proposed rules in this and 73 of the Commission’s rules, 47
Flexibility Act of 1980, as amended proceeding. Elimination of the existing CFR parts 1 and 73, are amended, and
(RFA), an Initial Regulatory Flexibility requirements pertaining to the location such rule amendments shall be effective
Analysis (IRFA) was incorporated in the of the main studio of each AM, FM, and January 8, 2018, except for
NPRM. The Commission sought written television broadcast station, as well as §§ 73.3526(c)(1) and 73.3527(c)(1),
public comments on proposals in the the elimination of associated staffing which contain new or modified
NPRM, including comment on the IRFA. and program origination requirements, information collection requirements,
The Commission received no comments will eliminate requirements that may be and which shall become effective after
on the IRFA, although some outdated and unnecessarily burdensome the Commission publishes a document
commenters discussed the effect of the on all broadcast stations, including in the Federal Register announcing
proposals on smaller entities. The small entities. The Commission OMB approval and the relevant effective
present Final Regulatory Flexibility considered whether it should adopt date.
Analysis (FRFA) conforms to the RFA. additional requirements pertaining to
In summary, the R&O adopts the publicizing or staffing the required 34 See attached Final Rules, revising

proposal to eliminate the Commission’s §§ 73.3526(c)(1) and 73.3527(c)(1) of our rules to
telephone number or responding to add, ‘‘The applicant, permittee, or licensee must
time-sensitive or emergency provide information regarding the location of the
33 The Commission grandfathered certain main
information. While some commenters file, or the applicable portion of the file, within one
sradovich on DSK3GMQ082PROD with RULES

studios that did not comply with the main studio business day of a request for such information.’’ In
rule when it implemented the Community
advocated such alternative approaches,
addition to those new information collection
Broadcasters Protection Act of 1999 creating the the Commission concluded that the requirements, which we will submit to OMB via a
Class A service. For those Class A stations currently burdens of any such additional non-substantive change request, following adoption
operating at grandfathered main studios that are requirements are unjustified. Separately, of this R&O the Commission also will submit to the
outside the locations described in § 73.6000(1)–(2) Office of Management and Budget (OMB) a notice
of our rules, we will continue to consider
while the Commission could simply of discontinuance to reflect the deletion of the main
programming produced at that previously adopt the requirement pertaining to the studio rule and its associated information collection
grandfathered main studio to be locally produced. location of the public file, instead it has requirements.

VerDate Sep<11>2014 16:24 Dec 07, 2017 Jkt 244001 PO 00000 Frm 00063 Fmt 4700 Sfmt 4700 E:\FR\FM\08DER1.SGM 08DER1
57882 Federal Register / Vol. 82, No. 235 / Friday, December 8, 2017 / Rules and Regulations

30. It is further ordered that the PART 73—RADIO BROADCAST (8) FM commercial stations and FM
Commission shall send a copy of this SERVICES noncommercial educational stations
Report and Order in a report to be sent may decrease ERP on a modification of
to Congress and the Government ■ 4. The authority citation for part 73 license application provided that
Accountability Office pursuant to the continues to read as follows: exhibits are included to demonstrate
Congressional Review Act, see 5 U.S.C. Authority: 47 U.S.C. 154, 303, 309, 310, that all five of the following
801(a)(1)(A). 334, 336, and 339. requirements are met:
List of Subjects ■ 5. In § 73.14, revise the definition of * * * * *
‘‘Equipment performance (d) * * *
47 CFR Part 1 (1) Commencement of remote control
measurements’’ to read as follows:
Administrative practice and operation pursuant to § 73.1400.
§ 73.14 AM broadcast definitions. * * * * *
procedure, Penalties, Radio, Reporting
and recordkeeping requirements, * * * * * ■ 10. In § 73.3526:
Television. Equipment performance ■ a. Revise paragraphs (b)(1) and (2);
measurements. The measurements ■ b. In paragraph (b)(3)(i), remove ‘‘the
47 CFR Part 73 performed to determine the overall station’’ and add in its place ‘‘an
Radio, Reporting and recordkeeping performance characteristics of a accessible place in the community of
requirements, Television. broadcast transmission system from license’’; and
point of program origination to ■ c. Revise paragraphs (b)(3)(ii) and (iii),
Federal Communications Commission. sampling of signal as radiated. (See (c)(1), (c)(2) introductory text, and (e)(4).
Katura Jackson, § 73.1590) The revisions read as follows:
Federal Register Liaison Officer, Office of the * * * * *
Secretary. § 73.3526 Local public inspection file of
§ 73.761 [Amended] commercial stations.
Final Rules
■ 6. In § 73.761, remove paragraph (d) * * * * *
For the reasons discussed in the and redesignate paragraphs (e) through (b) * * *
preamble, the Federal Communications (g) as paragraphs (d) through (f). (1) For radio licensees temporarily
Commission amends 47 CFR parts 1 and ■ 7. Revise § 73.1125 to read as follows:
exempt from the online public file
73 as follows: hosted by the Commission, as discussed
§ 73.1125 Station telephone number. in paragraph (b)(2) of this section, a
PART 1—PRACTICE AND Each AM, FM, TV, and Class A TV hard copy of the public inspection file
PROCEDURE broadcast station shall maintain a local shall be maintained at an accessible
telephone number in its community of place in the community of license,
■ 1. The authority citation for part 1 license or a toll-free number. unless the licensee elects voluntarily to
continues to read as follows: place the file online as discussed in
■ 8. In § 73.1400, revise paragraph
Authority: 47 U.S.C. 151, 154(i), 154(j), (a)(1)(ii) to read as follows: paragraph (b)(2) of this section. An
155, 157, 160, 201, 225, 227, 303, 309, 310, applicant for a new station or change of
332, 1403, 1404, 1451, 1452, and 1455. § 73.1400 Transmission system community shall maintain its file at an
monitoring and control. accessible place in the proposed
§ 1.80 [Amended]
* * * * * community of license. If as of January 8,
■ 2. In § 1.80, the table titled ‘‘Violations (a) * * * 2018 a broadcast station maintains a
Unique to the Service’’ is amended by (1) * * * hard copy of all or a portion of its public
removing the entry for ‘‘Violation of (ii) Remote control of the transmission inspection file at a main studio that
main studio rule.’’ system by a person at a studio or other either complied with the Commission’s
location. The remote control system main studio rule (47 CFR 73.1125
§ 1.1104 [Amended] must provide sufficient transmission (2016)) but is not within the station’s
■ 3. In § 1.1104, the table is amended as system monitoring and control community of license, or was deemed a
follows: capability so as to ensure compliance permissible location for the station’s
■ a. Under ‘‘1. Commercial TV
with § 73.1350. public inspection file pursuant to a
Services,’’ remove the entry for ‘‘c. Main * * * * * waiver of the main studio rule, and if
Studio Request’’ and redesignate entries ■ 9. Amend § 73.1690 as follows:
the station retains that studio, then that
‘‘d’’ through ‘‘k’’ as entries ‘‘c’’ through ■ a. Revise paragraph (c)(8) introductory
studio is a permissible location for the
‘‘j;’’ text; station’s hard copy public inspection
■ b. Remove paragraph (c)(8)(ii);
file. Any reference in this section to ‘‘an
■ b. Under ‘‘2. Commercial AM Radio
■ c. Redesignate paragraphs (c)(8)(iii) accessible place in the community of
Stations,’’ remove the entry for ‘‘c. Main license’’ shall be deemed to include
Studio Request (per request)’’ and through (vi) as paragraphs (c)(8)(ii)
through (v); such a studio.
redesignate entries ‘‘d’’ through ‘‘l’’ as (2)(i) A television station licensee or
entries ‘‘c’’ through ‘‘k;’’ ■ d. Remove paragraph (d)(1);
■ e. Redesignate paragraphs (d)(2) and applicant, and any radio station licensee
■ c. Under ‘‘3. Commercial FM Radio or applicant not temporarily exempt as
(3) as paragraphs (d)(1) and (2); and
Stations,’’ remove the entry for ‘‘c. Main described in this paragraph (b)(2)(i),
■ f. Revise newly redesignated
sradovich on DSK3GMQ082PROD with RULES

Studio Request (per request)’’ and shall place the contents required by
paragraph (d)(1).
redesignate entries ‘‘d’’ through ‘‘l’’ as paragraph (e) of this section of its public
The revisions read as follows.
entries ‘‘c’’ through ‘‘k;’’ and inspection file in the online public file
■ d. Under ‘‘8. Class A TV Services,’’ § 73.1690 Modification of transmission hosted by the Commission, with the
remove the entry for ‘‘g. Main Studio systems. exception of the political file as required
Request’’ and redesignate entry ‘‘h’’ as * * * * * by paragraph (e)(6) of this section, as
entry ‘‘g.’’ (c) * * * discussed in paragraph (b)(3) of this

VerDate Sep<11>2014 16:24 Dec 07, 2017 Jkt 244001 PO 00000 Frm 00064 Fmt 4700 Sfmt 4700 E:\FR\FM\08DER1.SGM 08DER1
Federal Register / Vol. 82, No. 235 / Friday, December 8, 2017 / Rules and Regulations 57883

section. Any radio station not in the top discussed in paragraph (b)(1) of this shall be fulfilled within a reasonable
50 Nielsen Audio markets, and any section’’ refers to maintaining a hard period of time, which generally should
radio station with fewer than five full- copy of the public inspection file at the not exceed 7 days.
time employees, shall continue to retain main studio of the station as described (2) The applicant, permittee, or
the public inspection file at an in paragraph (b)(1) prior to January 8, licensee who maintains its public file
accessible place in the community of 2018. See 47 CFR 73.3526(b)(1) (2016). outside its community of license (see
license in the manner discussed in (iii) Any radio station not in the top paragraph (b)(1) of this section) shall:
paragraph (b)(1) of this section until 50 Nielsen Audio markets, and any * * * * *
March 1, 2018. However, any radio radio station with fewer than five full- (e) * * *
station that is not required to place its time employees, shall continue to retain (4) Contour maps. A copy of any
public inspection file in the online the political file at an accessible place service contour maps, submitted with
public file hosted by the Commission in the community of license in the any application tendered for filing with
before March 1, 2018 may choose to do manner discussed in paragraph (b)(1) of the FCC, together with any other
so, instead of retaining the public this section until March 1, 2018. For information in the application showing
inspection file at an accessible place in these stations, effective March 1, 2018, service contours and/or transmitter
the community of license in the manner any new political file material shall be location (State, county, city, street
discussed in paragraph (b)(1) of this placed in the online public file hosted address, or other identifying
section. by the Commission, while the material information). These documents shall be
(ii) A station must provide a link to already existing in the political file as of retained for as long as they reflect
the public inspection file hosted on the March 1, 2018, if not placed in the current, accurate information regarding
Commission’s Web site from the home online public file hosted by the the station.
page of its own Web site, if the station Commission, shall continue to be
has a Web site, and provide contact * * * * *
retained at an accessible place in the
information on its Web site for a station ■ 11. In § 73.3527, revise paragraphs
community of license in the manner
representative that can assist any person (b)(1) and (2), (c)(1), (c)(2) introductory
discussed in paragraph (b)(1) of this
with disabilities with issues related to text, and (e)(3) to read as follows:
section until the end of its retention
the content of the public files. A station period. However, any station that is not § 73.3527 Local public inspection file of
also is required to include in the online required to place its political file on the noncommercial educational stations.
public file the station’s address and Commission’s Web site before March 1,
telephone number, and the email * * * * *
2018, may choose to do so, instead of (b) * * *
address of the station’s designated retaining the political file at an
contact for questions about the public (1) For radio licensees, a hard copy of
accessible place in the community of the public inspection file shall be
file. To the extent this section refers to license in the manner discussed in
the local public inspection file, it refers maintained at an accessible place in the
paragraph (b)(1) of this section. community of license until March 1,
to the public file of an individual
station, which is either maintained at an * * * * * 2018, except that, as discussed in
accessible place in the community of (c) * * * paragraph (b)(2)(ii) of this section, any
license or on the Commission’s Web (1) For any applicant, permittee, or radio station may voluntarily place its
site, depending upon where the licensee that does not include all public inspection file in the online
documents are required to be material described in paragraph (e) of public file hosted by the Commission
maintained under the Commission’s this section in the online public file before March 1, 2018, if it chooses to do
rules. hosted by the Commission, the portion so, instead of retaining the file at an
(3) * * * of the file that is not included in the accessible place in the community of
(ii) Any television station not in the online public file shall be available for license. An applicant for a new station
top 50 DMAs, and any station not public inspection at any time during or change of community shall maintain
affiliated with one of the top four regular business hours at an accessible its file at an accessible place in the
broadcast networks, regardless of the place in the community of license. The proposed community of license. If as of
size of the market it serves, shall applicant, permittee, or licensee must January 8, 2018 a broadcast station
continue to retain the political file at the provide information regarding the maintains a hard copy of all or a portion
station in the manner discussed in location of the file, or the applicable of its public inspection file at a main
paragraph (b)(1) of this section until July portion of the file, within one business studio that either complied with the
1, 2014. For these stations, effective July day of a request for such information. Commission’s main studio rule (47 CFR
1, 2014, any new political file material All or part of the file may be maintained 73.1125 (2016)) but is not within the
shall be placed in the online file hosted in a computer database, as long as a station’s community of license, or was
by the Commission, while the material computer terminal is made available, at deemed a permissible location for the
in the political file as of July 1, 2014, if the location of the file, to members of station’s public inspection file pursuant
not placed in the Commission’s Web the public who wish to review the file. to a waiver of the main studio rule, and
site, shall continue to be retained at the Material in the public inspection file if the station retains that studio, then
station in the manner discussed in shall be made available for printing or that studio is a permissible location for
paragraph (b)(1) of this section until the machine reproduction upon request the station’s hard copy public
end of its retention period. However, made in person. The applicant, inspection file. Any reference in this
any station that is not required to place permittee, or licensee may specify the section to ‘‘an accessible place in the
sradovich on DSK3GMQ082PROD with RULES

its political file in the online file hosted location for printing or reproduction, community of license’’ shall be deemed
by the Commission before July 1, 2014 require the requesting party to pay the to include such a studio.
may choose to do so, instead of reasonable cost thereof, and may require (2)(i) A noncommercial educational
retaining the political file at the station guarantee of payment in advance (e.g., television station licensee or applicant
in the manner discussed in paragraph by requiring a deposit, obtaining credit shall place the contents required by
(b)(1) of this section. For purposes of card information, or any other paragraph (e) of this section of its public
this paragraph (b)(3)(ii), the ‘‘manner reasonable method). Requests for copies inspection file in the online public file

VerDate Sep<11>2014 16:24 Dec 07, 2017 Jkt 244001 PO 00000 Frm 00065 Fmt 4700 Sfmt 4700 E:\FR\FM\08DER1.SGM 08DER1
57884 Federal Register / Vol. 82, No. 235 / Friday, December 8, 2017 / Rules and Regulations

hosted by the Commission, with the telephone number, and the email current, accurate information regarding
exception of the political file as required address of the station’s designated the station.
by paragraph (e)(5) of this section, contact for questions about the public * * * * *
which may be retained at the station in file. To the extent this section refers to
the manner discussed in paragraph the local public inspection file, it refers ■ 12. In § 73.3538, revise paragraph (b)
(b)(1) of this section until July 1, 2014. to the public file of an individual to read as follows:
Effective July 1, 2014, any new political station, which is either maintained at an § 73.3538 Application to make changes in
file material shall be placed in the accessible place in the community of an existing station.
online public file hosted by the license or on the Commission’s Web
Commission, while the material in the site, depending upon where the * * * * *
political file as of July 1, 2014, if not documents are required to be (b) An informal application filed in
placed in the Commission’s online maintained under the Commission’s accordance with § 73.3511 is to be used
public file, shall continue to be retained rules. to obtain authority to modify or
at the station in the manner discussed * * * * * discontinue the obstruction marking or
in paragraph (b)(1) of this section until lighting of the antenna supporting
the end of its retention period. However, (c) * * * structure where that specified on the
any noncommercial educational station (1) For any applicant, permittee, or station authorization either differs from
that is not required to place its political licensee that does not include all that specified in 47 CFR part 17, or is
file in the online public file hosted by material described in paragraph (e) of not appropriate for other reasons.
the Commission before July 1, 2014 may this section in the online public file
choose to do so instead of retaining the hosted by the Commission, the portion § 73.3544 [Amended]
political file at the station in the manner of the file that is not included in the
discussed in paragraph (b)(1) of this ■ 13. In § 73.3544, remove paragraph
online public file shall be available for (b)(3) and redesignate paragraph (b)(4)
section. For purposes of this paragraph public inspection at any time during
(b)(2)(i), the ‘‘manner discussed in as paragraph (b)(3).
regular business hours at an accessible
paragraph (b)(1) of this section’’ refers to place in the community of license. The ■ 14. Revise § 73.6000 to read as
maintaining a hard copy of the public applicant, permittee, or licensee must follows:
inspection file at the main studio of the provide information regarding the
station as described in paragraph (b)(1) § 73.6000 Definitions.
location of the file, or the applicable
prior to January 8, 2018. See 47 CFR portion of the file, within one business For the purpose of this subpart, the
73.3527(b)(1) (2016). day of a request for such information. following definition applies:
(ii) Beginning March 1, 2018, All or part of the file may be maintained
noncommercial educational radio Locally produced programming is
in a computer database, as long as a programming:
station licensees and applicants shall computer terminal is made available, at
place the contents required by the location of the file, to members of (1) Produced within the predicted
paragraph (e) of this section in the the public who wish to review the file. Grade B contour of the station
online public inspection file hosted by Material in the public inspection file broadcasting the program or within the
the Commission. For these stations, shall be made available for printing or contiguous predicted Grade B contours
effective March 1, 2018, any new machine reproduction upon request of any of the stations in a commonly
political file material shall be placed in made in person. The applicant, owned group; or
the Commission’s online public file, permittee, or licensee may specify the (2) Produced within the predicted
while the material in the political file as location for printing or reproduction, DTV noise-limited contour (see
of March 1, 2018, if not placed in the require the requesting party to pay the § 73.622(e)) of a digital Class A station
Commission’s online public file, shall
reasonable cost thereof, and may require broadcasting the program or within the
continue to be retained at an accessible
guarantee of payment in advance (e.g., contiguous predicted DTV noise-limited
place in the community of license in the
by requiring a deposit, obtaining credit contours of any of the digital Class A
manner discussed in paragraph (b)(1) of
card information, or any other stations in a commonly owned group.
this section until the end of its retention
reasonable method). Requests for copies Note to § 73.6000: See Report and Order,
period. However, any radio station that
shall be fulfilled within a reasonable In the Matter of Establishment of a Class A
is not required to place its public
period of time, which generally should Television Service, MM Docket No. 00–10,
inspection file in the online public file
not exceed 7 days. released April 4, 2000; Memorandum
hosted by the Commission before March
1, 2018, may choose to do so, instead of (2) The applicant, permittee, or Opinion and Order on Reconsideration, In
retaining the public inspection file at an licensee who maintains its public file the Matter of Establishment of a Class A
accessible place in the community of outside its community of license (see Television Service, MM Docket No. 00–10,
license in the manner discussed in paragraph (b)(1) of this section) shall: released April 13, 2001; Report and Order, In
paragraph (b)(1) of this section.?≤ the Matter of Elimination of Main Studio
* * * * * Rule, MB Docket No. 17–106, released
(iii) A station must provide a link to
the online public inspection file hosted (e) * * * October 24, 2017.
by the Commission from the home page (3) Contour maps. A copy of any
of its own Web site, if the station has a service contour maps, submitted with Alphabetical Index—[Amended]
Web site, and provide contact any application tendered for filing with
sradovich on DSK3GMQ082PROD with RULES

information for a station representative the FCC, together with any other ■ 15. In the alphabetical index for part
on its Web site that can assist any information in the application showing 73, remove the entries for ‘‘Location,
person with disabilities with issues service contours and/or transmitter Main studio,’’ ‘‘Main studio location,’’
related to the content of the public files. location (State, county, city, street ‘‘Station, main studio location,’’ and
A station also is required to include in address, or other identifying ‘‘Studio location, Main.’’
the online public file hosted by the information). These documents shall be [FR Doc. 2017–24982 Filed 12–7–17; 8:45 am]
Commission the station’s address and retained for as long as they reflect BILLING CODE 6712–01–P

VerDate Sep<11>2014 16:24 Dec 07, 2017 Jkt 244001 PO 00000 Frm 00066 Fmt 4700 Sfmt 9990 E:\FR\FM\08DER1.SGM 08DER1
Document Created: 2017-12-08 01:43:21
Document Modified: 2017-12-08 01:43:21
Category		Regulatory Information
Collection		Federal Register
sudoc Class		AE 2.7: GS 4.107: AE 2.106:
Publisher		Office of the Federal Register, National Archives and Records Administration
Section		Rules and Regulations
Action		Final rule.
Dates		Effective January 8, 2018, except for Sec. Sec. 73.3526(c)(1) and 73.3527(c)(1), which contain new or modified information collection requirements, and which shall become effective after the Commission publishes a document in the Federal Register announcing OMB approval and the relevant effective date.
Contact		For additional information on this proceeding, contact Diana Sokolow, [email protected], of the Policy Division, Media Bureau, (202) 418-2120.
FR Citation		82 FR 57876
CFR Citation		47 CFR 1 47 CFR 73
CFR Associated		Administrative Practice and Procedure; Penalties; Radio; Reporting and Recordkeeping Requirements and Television