FCC Suspends Biennial Ownership Reports for 18 Months

RADIO ONLINE | Wednesday, July 30, 2025 | 1:46pm CT

Federal Communications Commission

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has announced an 18-month suspension of the requirement for broadcasters to file biennial ownership reports, citing ongoing concerns about the regulatory burden and limited public benefit of the reports.

In a Public Notice issued July 29, 2025 (DA 25-671), the FCC's Media Bureau waived the filing requirement for FCC Form 323 (commercial stations) and Form 323-E (non-commercial stations) for all licensees of full-power television, Class A television, low power television, AM radio, and FM radio stations. The biennial reports were previously due by December 1, 2025, with the filing window set to open on October 2.

The decision comes amid feedback from the FCC's ongoing proceeding entitled "In re: Delete, Delete, Delete", in which broadcasters argued that the ownership reporting requirement is costly, burdensome, and provides limited public value. Commenters including the National Association of Broadcasters, Gray Media, America's Public Television Stations, and others urged the Commission to reconsider the necessity of the biennial filings.

With the waiver now in effect, the next ownership report deadline has been moved to June 1, 2027, or until further notice.

However, the FCC emphasized that this waiver does not suspend non-biennial ownership reporting requirements. Broadcasters must still file ownership reports under Section 73.3615 in cases such as after the granting of a construction permit, station license applications, or the completion of ownership transfers.

The Media Bureau noted it had authority to suspend the requirement under FCC rules, similar to a previous waiver issued in 2009.