EEO Audit Under Way

The FCC has launched its
latest station EEO audit, for which it randomly selects approximately 5% of TV
and radio stations.

According to the
commission, it started sending out the letters March 29 as part of its annual
audit of EEO programs (a list of the stations is at http://www.fcc.gov/mb/policy/eeo).

Stations with more than
four full-time employees must also have that information posted on their Web
sites, something the FCC says it will be checking up on. Violators face a fine.

Stations who were
audited in 2009 and 2010, or whose license was renewed by FCC order within the
past year and a half may not have to submit info, the FCC says. If that is the
case it advises e-mailing that fact to lewis.pulley@fcc.gov.

John Eggerton

Contributing editor John Eggerton has been an editor and/or writer on media regulation, legislation and policy for over four decades, including covering the FCC, FTC, Congress, the major media trade associations, and the federal courts. In addition to Multichannel News and Broadcasting + Cable, his work has appeared in Radio World, TV Technology, TV Fax, This Week in Consumer Electronics, Variety and the Encyclopedia Britannica.