The FCC announced Friday it would demo its online political
file database for the public on July 17.
According to the commission, the demo will be at 10 a.m. at
the commission meeting room. It will also be streamed.
"The demonstration will inform broadcasters and others
of the design and content of the online file, how stations will upload
information to the file, how file sharing tools like Dropbox and Box can be
used for uploading, and other ways in which the FCC is working to facilitate
access to its public databases," the commission said in a statement.
The top for network affiliates in the top 50 markets have to
start sending the FCC political file information, including spot prices, Aug.
2. Other stations won't have to until two years later, and after the FCC has
sought comment a year into the process on its impact on those top-market
stations.
The National Association of Broadcasters have sued the FCC
over its decision to require online political files be sent to the commission
for posting online and this week asked the FCC to delay that Aug. 2 deadline
until the court weighs in. Separately, TV groups have asked the FCC to
reconsider its decision, offering an alternative of providing aggregate prices,
rather than the individual prices they say put them at a competitive
disadvantage to cable and satellite operators not required to post their political
files online.
