FCC Extends EEO Audit Deadline to October 17th

As we reported in August, the FCC has sent EEO audit letter to 300 stations across the country.  These letters go to randomly selected stations every year.  Several New York stations were included.  The Enforcement Bureau has issued a public notice extending the deadline from September 22^nd to October 17th for stations to upload their responses to their FCC-hosted online public inspection file (OPIF).

Importantly, the letter contained a request audit data.  The FCC’s Enforcement Bureau issued additional guidance relating to the questions in paragraph two of the audit letter requesting certain audit data from respondents.  With respect to this question the FCC stated:

“[I]n order to protect privacy and confidential business information from public disclosure....  good cause exists to waive the requirement that responses to the Inquiries be uploaded to a station’s OPIF.  The responses to the Inquiries should instead be submitted under separate cover via email to the Enforcement Bureau at EB-EEO@fcc.gov.  The email should also include a statement indicating that the remaining audit data was uploaded to a station’s OPIF.”

The FCC noted station employment units with fewer than five full-time employees (defined by section 73.2080(e)(1) of the Rules as employees regularly assigned to work 30 hours a week or more) are exempt from responding to the Inquiries.  Finally, respondents are not required to include advertising contracts in response to the Inquiries.

You can see a copy of the FCC Public Notice here.

Our previous story, which includes links to the audit letters and list of station can be found here.