FCC & U.S. Policy Briefing — September 25, 2026

1. Political-ad LUC comments due today — existing FCC guidance remains operative

Today is the comment deadline in the FCC proceeding reviewing the Media Bureau's guidance extending lowest-unit-charge treatment to certain candidate-authorized party and joint-fundraising committee advertising. The Fourth Circuit previously rejected the guidance, but the Supreme Court stayed that decision on procedural grounds, effectively restoring the FCC policy while the administrative review proceeds. (Broadcast Law Blog)

Why it matters: Stations are inside the general-election political window, so this is an immediate traffic, sales and billing issue. The proceeding could ultimately alter the policy, but the existing FCC guidance should presently be treated as controlling.

Action: Comments are due today, September 25; replies are due September 30.

2. EAS cybersecurity compliance deadline arrives Monday

The FCC's new cybersecurity requirements become mandatory Monday, September 29. They require secure authentication, timely security-related software/firmware updates, and firewalling or equivalent network protection for EAS equipment and remotely managed equipment used to route, process or insert broadcast programming.

Why it matters: This is not confined to the EAS encoder/decoder. Depending on station architecture, IP STLs, automation, processors, remote controls, transmitters and other remotely accessible program-chain equipment can be implicated.

Action: Use the weekend to resolve remaining legacy passwords, unpatched equipment and exposed Internet connections and document compliance by September 29.

3. Regulatory-fee deadline has passed — late accounts now incur 25% penalty

The FY 2026 regulatory-fee deadline expired at 11:59 p.m. EDT last night. Any required payment not received by the FCC on time is now delinquent and subject to the statutory 25% late-payment penalty, with interest and collection charges potentially following. (Radio News Now)

Why it matters: Delinquency can become an engineering/licensing problem because the FCC can withhold action on or dismiss applications involving a debtor. That can complicate an otherwise routine STA, CP, modification, assignment or renewal.

Action: For any client whose payment status is uncertain, check CORES today and cure a missed payment immediately rather than waiting for an FCC demand.

4. Auction 114/FM minor-change freeze ends next week — NCE translator freeze follows almost immediately

The Auction 114 freeze on commercial and NCE FM minor-change applications continues through September 30. The separate freeze associated with the November NCE FM translator window begins after October 2, affecting LPFM, FM translator and FM booster minor modifications.

Why it matters: There is effectively only a very narrow October 1–2 interval between these restrictions for certain FM-related work. For November translator studies, October 2 is particularly important because it largely fixes the secondary-service facility landscape against which applications are being engineered.

Action: Identify any translator/LPFM/booster facility changes that genuinely need filing before 11:59 p.m. ET October 2. Auction 114 Form 175 also closes September 30 at 6:00 p.m. ET.

5. Federal judge restores White House access to CNN, Politico and MS NOW

The Trump administration yesterday complied with a federal judge's order restoring White House access to CNN, Politico and MS NOW, which had been excluded after disputes over their coverage. The underlying First Amendment case continues, and the administration may appeal if the preliminary order is converted into an injunction. (Reuters)

Why it matters: The case is becoming an important test of how far the executive branch may go in conditioning government press access on editorial treatment, with obvious implications for television newsgathering and the broader press.

Action: No broadcaster compliance action. Watch the next district-court ruling and any D.C. Circuit appeal; the restored access is presently in effect.

FCC & U.S. Policy Briefing — September 24, 2026

 

1. FCC issues important EAS cybersecurity FAQs five days before compliance deadline

The FCC has issued new FAQs clarifying the cybersecurity rules that become mandatory September 29. Equipment unable to support the specified 15-character password standard must either be replaced or protected with an approved alternative authentication method; equipment behind a firewall still needs secure authentication, and passwords generally cannot be reused across devices. The guidance also confirms that third-party programmers directly inserting material into a station's program stream can fall within the requirements.

Why it matters: This resolves several practical engineering questions left open by the original order and makes clear that merely putting legacy equipment behind a firewall is not sufficient.

Action: Review Internet-connected EAS/program-chain equipment against the new FAQs and correct deficiencies by September 29.

2. LPTV 5G Broadcast petition formally opens for comment

The Media Bureau has opened a proceeding on a petition by XGN/X1 Mobile and Tyche Media seeking authority for LPTV stations to use 5G Broadcast voluntarily as an alternative to ATSC 1.0 or ATSC 3.0. The proposal would require a free over-the-air linear program stream and would exclude LPTV stations entitled to mandatory MVPD carriage. This is only a rulemaking proposal; 5G Broadcast is not presently authorized as an LPTV transmission standard.

Why it matters: If ultimately adopted, this could create a substantially different technical and business path for LPTV spectrum, particularly for datacasting/mobile reception applications.

Action: Comments due October 19; replies November 18. Worth following for LPTV clients even if there is no immediate filing interest.

3. FY 2026 FCC regulatory fees are due tonight

FY 2026 regulatory fees must be received through CORES by 11:59 p.m. EDT today, September 24. Late payment automatically incurs the statutory 25% penalty, and delinquency can interfere with processing other FCC applications or, if unresolved, ultimately threaten an authorization.

Why it matters: This is today's hard FCC deadline for commercial broadcast licensees and therefore the most immediate compliance item in the briefing.

Action: Confirm actual payment in CORES today, especially for clients with pending STAs, CPs, modifications, assignments or renewals.

4. AM Radio for Every Vehicle Act clears House — Senate is now the remaining hurdle

The House has passed the AM Radio for Every Vehicle Act, which would require AM reception as standard equipment in new passenger vehicles. If enacted, DOT would have one year to issue implementing rules, with the general vehicle requirement taking effect two to three years afterward; the legislation also accommodates reception of hybrid digital AM. It is not yet law.

Why it matters: For AM broadcasters this is a significant step toward preserving the automobile as the service's principal reception platform, but the bill still has to clear the Senate before this Congress ends.

Action: Watch the Senate version through year-end. No FCC or station action is presently required.

5. White House accelerates unprecedented federal review of state voter rolls

The administration is pressing federal agencies to accelerate review of voter-registration data obtained from at least 47 states, using federal databases to identify possible noncitizen registrations ahead of the November midterms. The effort is confirmed, but findings from database matches do not by themselves establish illegal voting, and the program is already generating legal and privacy concerns.

Why it matters: This represents an unusually broad federal role in an election-administration function traditionally handled primarily by states and could produce litigation over federal authority, voter removals and data use immediately before a national election.

Action: No public compliance action. Watch for court intervention or state challenges before November 3, particularly if database matches begin producing large-scale voter-roll removals.

FCC & U.S. Policy Briefing — September 23, 2026

1. FCC regulatory fees due tomorrow — payment responsibility is on the licensee

FY 2026 FCC regulatory fees must be received by 11:59 p.m. EDT tomorrow, September 24, through CORES. The FCC does not bill regulatees; each licensee is responsible for determining and paying the correct amount, and late payment automatically triggers a 25% penalty. (Mondaq)

Why it matters: This is the immediate hard deadline for commercial AM/FM/TV/LPTV/translator facilities. Delinquency can also cause the FCC to withhold action on or dismiss otherwise unrelated applications. (Broadcast Law Blog)

Action: Confirm actual CORES payment today, particularly for clients with pending STAs, modifications, CPs, assignments or renewals.

2. EAS cybersecurity rules become effective Monday

The FCC's new EAS cybersecurity requirements take effect September 29 under PS Docket Nos. 22-329 and 25-224. The rules require targeted protections including stronger authentication/password practices, prompt security-related software and firmware updating, and firewalling or equivalent isolation of covered equipment. (Fastnexa)

Why it matters: The rule reaches beyond the EAS encoder/decoder to STLs and remotely managed equipment used to route, process or insert programming, potentially including automation, processors, remote controls and other IP-connected broadcast-chain equipment. (Broadcast Law Blog)

Action: Complete and document the station network/equipment review before Monday, September 29.

3. Nationwide EAS test — translator/repeater filing distinction deserves attention

FCC/FEMA's nationwide EAS test is confirmed for November 17 at 2:20 p.m. ET, with December 3 as the backup date. EAS Participants generally must file three ETRS forms, but certain translator and repeater facilities are exempt from ETRS registration and reporting even though the underlying EAS requirements applicable to the facility still need to be considered. (Mondaq)

Why it matters: For groups operating full-power stations plus translators/LPTVs, this is a reason to determine facility-by-facility ETRS responsibility rather than simply generating filings for every Facility ID.

Action: ETRS Form One is due October 30. Test November 17; Form Two follows shortly after the test and Form Three is due in January.

4. Auction 114 FM freeze has one week remaining

The FCC's freeze on commercial and NCE FM minor-change applications remains in force through September 30 while Auction 114 short-form applications are accepted. Form 175 applications for the 132 vacant commercial FM allotments also close September 30.

Why it matters: Ordinary §73.207/§73.215 FM facility-change applications remain blocked this week. For engineering already underway, Auction 114 applicants' disclosed preferred-site coordinates should be checked before finalizing post-freeze spacing work.

Action: Do not submit covered FM minor changes until the freeze terminates. Auction 114 Form 175 deadline: September 30 at 6:00 p.m. ET.

5. White House press-access dispute escalates into federal litigation

CNN, MS NOW and Politico have sued the Trump administration after being barred from White House access; major television networks responded by suspending participation in the White House television pool, temporarily removing the principal shared video source for presidential events. The plaintiffs contend the exclusions violate the First Amendment; no court has yet resolved those claims. (Reuters)

Why it matters: This has moved beyond a routine press dispute: it directly concerns whether the executive branch may condition access to government facilities on the perceived favorability of news coverage, while simultaneously affecting the broadcast networks' ability to obtain presidential video.

Action: No broadcaster compliance action. Watch the federal court proceeding; any ruling defining the government's authority to exclude specific news organizations could have substantial First Amendment and newsgathering consequences.

FCC & U.S. Policy Briefing — September 22, 2026

1. FCC dismisses 36 LPFM applications — strong warning on localism and de facto networks

The Media Bureau yesterday dismissed 36 applications from the 2023 LPFM window after concluding that the applicants did not actually satisfy §73.853(b)'s local-presence requirement. The applicants shared ties to Wade Rathke and the Affiliated Media Foundation Movement; although the Bureau did not need to reach a final real-party-in-interest finding, it said the record suggested an effort to establish a prohibited multistate LPFM network. (FCC ID)

Why it matters: This is useful precedent for LPFM application work: a convenient local mailing address or "local representative" is not a substitute for an actual local headquarters/campus or the required board residency. The dismissals also converted three MX situations into singleton grants.

Action: For pending LPFM matters, verify that claimed local headquarters are genuine operating locations and documented as such. The Bureau says remaining related applications—and any reconsideration petitions—may receive additional real-party-in-interest scrutiny.

2. FCC regulatory fees due Thursday — two days remain

FY 2026 regulatory fees must be received through CORES by 11:59 p.m. EDT September 24. Commercial AM/FM, full-power TV and applicable secondary television facilities should now be considered at the hard-deadline stage; late payment produces the statutory 25% penalty and delinquency can interfere with processing other FCC applications. (Broadcast Law Blog)

Why it matters: For clients with active STAs, CPs, modifications, assignments or renewals, an overlooked accounting item can become a licensing problem.

Action: Confirm actual CORES payment—not merely that payment was authorized—by Thursday night.

3. EAS cybersecurity deadline is one week away

The FCC's new EAS security practices become mandatory September 29. Broadcasters must address authentication/password security, timely installation of security-related software and firmware updates, and firewalling or equivalent network segmentation for EAS equipment and other remotely managed equipment in the program chain. (Broadcast Law Blog)

Why it matters: Engineering compliance can extend beyond the EAS encoder/decoder to IP STLs, automation, processors, remote controls and transmitter-related equipment where those systems route, process or insert programming.

Action: Finish the station equipment/network inventory and document compliance before September 29. Do not assume that securing only the EAS box satisfies the rule.

4. Nationwide EAS test adds October 30 ETRS deadline

The FCC has formally announced that FEMA will conduct a nationwide EAS test November 17 at 2:20 p.m. ET, using a CAP/IPAWS message and the NPT event code; December 3 is the backup date. The FCC specifically recommends checking EAS handbooks, equipment configuration and monitoring arrangements in advance. (FCC Docs)

Why it matters: This turns EAS readiness into a two-stage engineering task: satisfy next week's cybersecurity rules, then prepare stations for the first nationwide EAS test since 2023.

Action: ETRS Form One is due October 30. The nationwide test is November 17; stations should verify monitoring assignments, CAP connectivity and EAS equipment operation well before then.

5. U.S.–Greenland agreement substantially expands American Arctic military presence

The United States, Denmark and Greenland are expected today to formalize an agreement allowing a substantial expansion of the U.S. military presence in Greenland, including two additional operating locations alongside Pituffik Space Base. Denmark maintains that sovereignty remains Danish/Greenlandic despite President Trump's characterization of the agreement as giving the United States permanent security control; the complete legal text has not yet been published. (Reuters)

Why it matters: This is a consequential U.S. defense-policy development rather than routine diplomacy. It substantially expands American Arctic infrastructure at a time when missile warning, space operations, Russian activity and access to Arctic routes and minerals have become strategic priorities.

Action: No public compliance action. Treat claims about permanent U.S. control cautiously until the actual agreement is released; the confirmed development is expanded U.S. military access, not a transfer of Greenlandic sovereignty.

FCC & U.S. Policy Briefing — September 21, 2026

 

1. FCC schedules nationwide EAS test — new ETRS deadlines now fixed

The FCC and FEMA have scheduled the first nationwide EAS test since 2023 for November 17 at 2:20 p.m. ET, with December 3 as the backup date. FEMA will originate a CAP message through IPAWS using the NPT event code; AM/FM, LPFM, full-power TV, Class A and LPTV stations and other EAS participants must participate. (FCC Docs)

Why it matters: This creates a new set of mandatory station filings and makes EAS equipment configuration, monitoring assignments, firmware and clock synchronization immediate engineering issues.

Action: ETRS Form One is due October 30. Form Two is due by 2:20 p.m. ET November 19 and Form Three by January 4, 2027. Stations should verify monitoring assignments and current EAS firmware well before the test.

2. FCC inspection of Michigan AM is a useful warning on DA operation, STA and EAS

The Enforcement Bureau issued a Notice of Violation to WSDS(AM), Salem Township, Michigan, after finding the station operating 36.6% above authorized daytime power, continuing after sunset with its daytime power and pattern, lacking reliable antenna-monitor phase/current readings, and failing to obtain an STA for extended operation at variance. Inspectors also found deficient EAS logs and monitoring of the wrong Local Primary stations. (Radio World)

Why it matters: This is unusually relevant to AM consulting because the violations cover several recurring real-world issues at once: DA monitor operation, day/night switching, power tolerance, operation beyond the 30-day notification period, STA requirements and EAS monitoring assignments.

Action: The licensee has 20 days to respond. For clients operating reduced power or with impaired DA monitoring, this is a good reminder to check whether a notification has aged into an STA requirement.

3. Regulatory fees due Thursday — FCC has demonstrated that nonpayment can ultimately cost the license

FY 2026 regulatory fees must reach the FCC through CORES by 11:59 p.m. EDT September 24. Late payment carries a 25% penalty and can interfere with application processing; the Commission recently revoked a Montana FM license after the licensee failed to resolve $6,754.80 in delinquent regulatory fees despite an Order to Pay or Show Cause. (Broadcast Law Blog)

Why it matters: This week's deadline has a genuine licensing consequence, not merely a financial penalty. A fee delinquency can become particularly troublesome when a client subsequently needs an STA, modification, assignment or renewal processed.

Action: Thursday, September 24, 11:59 p.m. EDT. Confirm payment rather than merely assuming accounting has handled it.

4. ABC asks federal court to stop FCC's unprecedented early license reviews

The Walt Disney Company and ABC filed their latest challenge Thursday seeking to block the FCC from forcing early renewal review of eight ABC-owned television licenses that ordinarily would not come up for renewal until 2028. ABC argues the action is retaliation for protected editorial speech; the FCC disputes that characterization and says its investigation concerns potential Communications Act and rule violations. The court has not decided the merits. (Reuters)

Why it matters: The case could establish important limits on the Commission's ability to use the broadcast license-renewal process outside the normal renewal cycle, with implications extending well beyond ABC.

Action: No station action presently required. A federal-court hearing is expected in early October; the FCC has agreed to provide advance notice before issuing a hearing order involving the licenses.

5. Supreme Court leaves USPS mail-ballot restrictions blocked for November election

The Supreme Court of the United States declined to allow the Postal Service to enforce the administration's new mail-ballot requirements while litigation continues. USPS subsequently stopped work on the computer system intended to implement those requirements, meaning existing state mail-ballot procedures remain operative for the November 3 midterms. (Investing.com)

Why it matters: This resolves, at least for the coming election, a significant uncertainty over federal intervention in state mail-voting procedures and removes the immediate prospect of a new nationwide USPS ballot-verification regime.

Action: No new USPS ballot requirements apply for November 3. The separate Supreme Court dispute over use of the federal SAVE citizenship database for voter-roll verification remains a matter to watch.