On Wednesday, the U.S. broadcasting industry faced ongoing disruptions from the federal government shutdown, now in its third week, which has halted most FCC operations and delayed key regulatory deadlines for radio and TV stations.
FCC Shutdown Halts Key Broadcaster Deadlines
The FCC's suspension of most activities since October 1 has frozen proceedings critical to radio and TV operators, including the major change filing window for Low Power TV (LPTV), Class A, and TV translator stations, originally set to open Wednesday.
A related filing freeze on minor modifications and displacement applications, due October 15, remains paused. The agency has not clarified rescheduling, leaving stations in limbo amid the shutdown's extension. Enforcement responses, like the October 17 deadline for 300 stations' EEO audit uploads, were still required despite the chaos, but broader reviews—such as relaxing local radio/TV ownership rules and the Dual Network Rule—are stalled.
The FCC aims to hold its monthly open meeting on October 28 to address ATSC 3.0 acceleration and earth station licensing, but shutdown uncertainty could derail it. Broadcasters are urged to monitor for public notices on rescheduled dates, as delays may cascade into Q4 filings like ETRS reports (due November 1 for noncommercial stations).