Many reports on this and other industry websites are based on filings submitted to the FCC.
Often, statements are made in official regulatory filings that you will not find in news releases or social media posts. But a filing with the FCC carries legal weight and is a more official statement than a station representative’s response to a reporter’s questions.
So, how do you see those filings for yourself?
I’d love to include links in my reports. Unfortunately, the FCC database is not set up in such a way to allow that. Screengrabs of attachments are also questionable because they sometimes contain copywritten information.
Most filings are now made through the Licensing and Management System (LMS). The main page offers a number of search options, but “Application Search” is the one I most commonly use. Enter the station’s callsign to see all of its applications.
One exception to that search technique is that applications to transfer a license (station sales) are usually submitted with multiple stations under one filing, but only the lead station for the filing will show up in a search.
The way to see all applications of a certain type is to click on “purpose” and select the application type (for sales, that would be “assignment of authorization” and “transfer of control”). You’ll also need to enter a date range or you’ll come up with thousands of results.
Make sure to click on the “Include Amendments” and “Include Withdrawals” boxes to ensure that you see all filings.
Before the LMS, the FCC used the Consolidated Database System (CDBS), which is still used for a few special temporary authority filings. You also need to look at CDBS to see details of many filings from the last few decades.
The links to LMS and CDBS are also in the menu bar on the top of this website under “See Also.”
Happy searching!
Do you have a question about broadcasting? Email jonellis@northpine.com and I’ll do my best to find an answer!