Latest Round of FCC EEO Audits Includes Five Texas Stations, Serves as EEO Compliance Reminder

posted on 6.15.2020

Each year, the FCC randomly audits approximately five percent of all U.S. broadcast stations for EEO compliance by sending out EEO audit notices to which stations must respond.

Failure to do so can have serious implications, especially if an EEO issue were to arise in the station’s license renewal process which is not too far off for Texas stations.

Texas Radio stations will enter their FCC license renewal period next year; Texas TV stations will follow in 2022.

The most recent batch of EEO audit notices went out to 35 radio stations earlier this month, including five in Texas.

“Whether you are on the list or not, this is a good time for broadcasters to review what is required by the FCC’s EEO rules,” said attorney David Oxenford of TAB Associate member Wilkinson Barker Knauer

Oxenford wrote this month about the current EEO requirements.

View here

Since the EEO file is a primary component of a station’s online Public Inspection File, Oxenford also warns stations to be vigilant about other public file components in preparation for license renewal.

Chief among these is the timely filing of station programs/issues lists.

Oxenford has written about fines issued in 2019 to radio stations here and here for deficiencies in this portion of the Public Inspection File.

Station should review these two articles for guidance in this area.

Questions? Contact TAB’s Michael Schneider or call (512) 322-9944.

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