§  73.3527   Local public inspection file of noncommercial educational
stations.

   (a) Responsibility to maintain a file. The following shall maintain for
   public inspection a file containing the material set forth in this
   section.

   (1) Applicants for a construction permit for a new station in the
   noncommercial educational broadcast services shall maintain a public
   inspection file containing the material, relating to that station,
   described in paragraph (e)(2) and (e)(11) of this section. A separate
   file shall be maintained for each station for which an application is
   pending. If the application is granted, paragraph (a)(2) of this
   section shall apply.

   (2) Every permittee or licensee of an AM, FM, or TV station in the
   noncommercial educational broadcast services shall maintain a public
   inspection file containing the material, relating to that station,
   described in paragraphs (e)(1) through (e)(11) of this section. In
   addition, every permittee or licensee of a noncommercial educational TV
   station shall maintain for public inspection a file containing
   material, relating to that station, described in paragraphs (e)(12) of
   this section. A separate file shall be maintained for each station for
   which an authorization is outstanding, and the file shall be maintained
   so long as an authorization to operate the station is outstanding.

   (b) Location of the file . The public inspection file shall be located
   as follows:

   (1) A hard copy of the public inspection file shall be maintained at
   the main studio of the station. An applicant for a new station or
   change of community shall maintain its file at an accessible place in
   the proposed community of license or at its proposed main studio.

   (2) A television station licensee or applicant that had a Web site for
   its station[s] as of January 24, 2008, shall also place the contents of
   its public inspection file on its Web site or, if permitted, the Web
   site of its state broadcasters association as of 60 days after the
   Commission publishes a notice in theFederal Registerannouncing OMB
   approval. A station not having their own Web site as of November 27,
   2007, must place their files on any Web site they may later create or,
   if permitted, on the Web site of its state broadcasters association, by
   60 days after the Commission publishes a notice in theFederal
   Registerannouncing OMB approval or within 30 days of the date it makes
   the Web site available to the public, whichever is later. A station
   placing its public inspection files on its state broadcasters
   association's Web site must link to that site from its own Web site. A
   television licensee or applicant does not have to place on its Web site
   any material that is available on another freely accessible Web site
   for which no registration is required as long as it provides a link to
   that Web site. This applies, for example, to material that is posted on
   the FCC's Web site, such as material required by paragraph (e)(7) of
   this section (“The Public and Broadcasting”).

   (c) Access to material in the file. (1) The file shall be available for
   public inspection at any time during regular business hours. All or
   part of the file may be maintained in a computer database, as long as a
   computer terminal is made available, at the location of the file, to
   members of the public who wish to review the file. Material in the
   public inspection file shall be made available for printing or machine
   reproduction upon request made in person. The applicant, permittee, or
   licensee may specify the location for printing or reproduction, require
   the requesting party to pay the reasonable cost thereof, and may
   require guarantee of payment in advance (e.g., by requiring a deposit,
   obtaining credit card information, or any other reasonable method).
   Requests for copies shall be fulfilled within a reasonable period of
   time, which generally should not exceed 7 days.

   (2) The applicant, permittee, or licensee who maintains its main studio
   and public file outside its community of license shall:

   (i) Make available to persons within its geographic service area, by
   mail upon telephone request, photocopies of documents in the file ( see
   § 73.3527(c)(1)), excluding the political file ( see § 73.3527(e)(5)),
   and the station shall pay postage;

   (ii) Mail the most recent version of “The Public and Broadcasting” to
   any member of the public that requests a copy; and

   (iii) Be prepared to assist members of the public in identifying the
   documents they may ask to be sent to them by mail, for example, by
   describing to the caller, if asked, the period covered by a particular
   report and the number of pages included in the report.

   Note to paragraph(c)(2): For purposes of this section, geographic
   service area includes the area within the protected service contour in
   a particular service: Grade B contour for TV, 1 mVm contour for all FM
   station classes except .7 mV/m for Class B1 stations and .5 mV/m for
   Class B stations, and .5 mV/m contour for AM stations.

   (d) Responsibility in case of assignment or transfer. (1) In cases
   involving applications for consent to assignment of broadcast station
   construction permits or licenses, with respect to which public notice
   is required to be given under the provisions of § 73.3580 or § 73.3594,
   the file mentioned in paragraph (a) of this section shall be maintained
   by the assignor. If the assignment is consented to by the FCC and
   consummated, the assignee shall maintain the file commencing with the
   date on which notice of the consummation of the assignment is filed
   with the FCC. The assignee shall retain public file documents obtained
   from the assignor for the period required under these rules.

   (2) In cases involving applications for consent to transfer of control
   of a permittee or licensee of a broadcast station, the file mentioned
   in paragraph (a) of this section shall be maintained by the permittee
   or licensee.

   (e) Contents of the file. The material to be retained in the public
   inspection file is as follows:

   (1) Authorization. A copy of the current FCC authorization to construct
   or operate the station, as well as any other documents necessary to
   reflect any modifications thereto or any conditions that the FCC has
   placed on the authorization. These materials shall be retained until
   replaced by a new authorization, at which time a copy of the new
   authorization and any related materials shall be placed in the file.

   (2) Applications and related materials. A copy of any application
   tendered for filing with the FCC, together with all related material,
   including supporting documentation of any points claimed in the
   application pursuant to § 73.7003, and copies of FCC decisions
   pertaining thereto. If petitions to deny are filed against the
   application and have been served on the applicant, a statement that
   such a petition has been filed shall be maintained in the file together
   with the name and address of the party filing the petition.
   Applications shall be retained in the public inspection file until
   final action has been taken on the application, except that
   applications for a new construction permit granted pursuant to a waiver
   showing and applications for assignment or transfer of license granted
   pursuant to a waiver showing shall be retained for as long as the
   waiver is in effect. In addition, license renewal applications granted
   on a short-term basis shall be retained until final action has been
   taken on the license renewal application filed immediately following
   the shortened license term.

   (3) Contour maps. A copy of any service contour maps, submitted with
   any application tendered for filing with the FCC, together with any
   other information in the application showing service contours and/or
   main studio and transmitter location (State, county, city, street
   address, or other identifying information). These documents shall be
   retained for as long as they reflect current, accurate information
   regarding the station.

   (4) Ownership reports and related materials. A copy of the most recent,
   complete ownership report filed with the FCC for the station, together
   with any subsequent statement filed with the FCC certifying that the
   current report is accurate, and together with all related material.
   These materials shall be retained until a new, complete ownership
   report is filed with the FCC, at which time a copy of the new report
   and any related materials shall be placed in the file. The permittee or
   licensee must retain in the public file either a copy of the contracts
   listed in such reports in accordance with § 73.3615(d)(3), or an
   up-to-date list of such contracts. Licensees and permittees who choose
   to maintain a list of contracts must provide a copy of any contracts to
   requesting parties within 7 days.

   (5) Political file. Such records as are required by § 73.1943 to be kept
   concerning broadcasts by candidates for public office. These records
   shall be retained for the period specified in § 73.1943 (2 years).

   (6) Equal Employment Opportunity file. Such information as is required
   by § 73.2080 to be kept in the public inspection file. These materials
   shall be retained until final action has been taken on the station's
   next license renewal application.

   (7) The Public and Broadcasting. At all times, a copy of the most
   recent version of the manual entitled “The Public and Broadcasting.”

   (8) TV Standardized Public Interest Reporting Form . For noncommercial
   educational TV and Class A TV broadcast stations, every three months a
   completed Standardized Public Interest Reporting Form with regard to
   the station's efforts to determine the issues facing its community and
   the programming aired during the preceding three month period in
   response to those issues. The form for each calendar quarter is to be
   filed by the thirtieth day of the succeeding calendar quarter (e.g.,
   January 30 for the quarter October–December, April 30 for the quarter
   January–March, etc.). The forms described in this paragraph shall be
   retained in the public inspection file until final action has been
   taken on the station's next license renewal application.

   (i) Issues/programs lists. For nonexempt noncommercial educational
   radio broadcast stations, every three months a list of programs that
   have provided the station's most significant treatment of community
   issues during the preceding three month period. The list for each
   calendar quarter is to be filed by the tenth day of the succeeding
   calendar quarter (e.g., January 10 for the quarter October–December,
   April 10 for the quarter January–March, etc.). The list shall include a
   brief narrative describing what issues were given significant treatment
   and the programming that provided this treatment. The description of
   the programs shall include, but shall not be limited to, the time,
   date, duration, and title of each program in which the issue was
   treated. The lists described in this paragraph shall be retained in the
   public inspection file until final action has been taken on the
   station's next license renewal application.

   (ii) TV Standardized Public Interest Reporting Form. For noncommercial
   educational TV and Class A TV broadcast stations, every three months a
   completed Standardized Public Interest Reporting Form with regard to
   the station's efforts to determine the issues facing its community and
   the programming aired during the preceding three month period in
   response to those issues. The form for each calendar quarter is to be
   filed by the thirtieth day of the succeeding calendar quarter (e.g.,
   January 30 for the quarter October–December, April 30 for the quarter
   January–March, etc.). The forms described in this paragraph shall be
   retained in the public inspection file until final action has been
   taken on the station's next license renewal application.

   (9) Donor lists. The lists of donors supporting specific programs.
   These lists shall be retained for two years from the date of the
   broadcast of the specific program supported.

   (10) Local public notice announcements. Each applicant for renewal of
   license shall, within 7 days of the last day of broadcast of the local
   public notice of filing announcements required pursuant to § 73.3580(h),
   place in the station's local public inspection file a statement
   certifying compliance with this requirement. The dates and times that
   the pre-filing and post-filing notices were broadcast and the text
   thereof shall be made part of the certifying statement. The certifying
   statement shall be retained in the public file for the period specified
   in § 73.3580 (for as long as the application to which it refers).

   (11) Material relating to FCC investigation or complaint. Material
   having a substantial bearing on a matter which is the subject of an FCC
   investigation or complaint to the FCC of which the applicant,
   permittee, or licensee has been advised. This material shall be
   retained until the applicant, permittee, or licensee is notified in
   writing that the material may be discarded.

   (12) Must-carry requests. Noncommercial television stations requesting
   mandatory carriage on any cable system pursuant to § § 76.56, 76.1614,
   76.1620, and 76.1709 of this chapter shall place a copy of such request
   in its public file and shall retain both the request and relevant
   correspondence for the duration of any period to which the request
   applies.

   (13) DTV transition education reports . For full-power noncommercial
   educational TV broadcast stations, both analog and digital, on a
   quarterly basis, a completed Form 388, DTV Consumer Education Quarterly
   Activity Report. The Report for each quarter is to be placed in the
   public inspection file by the tenth day of the succeeding calendar
   quarter. By this date, a copy of the Report for each quarter must be
   filed electronically using the Commission's Consolidated DataBase
   System (CDBS). Stations electing to conform to the requirements of
   § 73.674(b) must also provide the form on the station's public Web site,
   if such exists. The Report shall be separated from other materials in
   the public inspection file. The first Report, covering the first
   quarter of 2008, must be filed no later than April 10, 2008. The
   Reports must continue to be included up to and including the quarter in
   which a station concludes its education campaign. These Reports shall
   be retained in the public inspection file for one year. Licensees and
   permittees shall publicize in an appropriate manner the existence and
   location of these Reports.

   Note 1 to paragraph(e): For purposes of this section, a decision made
   with respect to an application tendered with the FCC becomes final when
   that decision is no longer subject to reconsideration, review, or
   appeal either at the FCC or in the courts.

   Note 2 to paragraph(e): For purposes of this section, the term “all
   related material” includes all exhibits, letters, and other documents
   tendered for filing with the FCC as part of an application, report, or
   other document, all amendments to the application, report, or other
   document, copies of all documents incorporated therein by reference and
   not already maintained in the public inspection file, and all
   correspondence between the FCC and the applicant pertaining to the
   application, report, or other document, which according to the
   provisions of § § 0.451 through 0.461 of the rules are open for public
   inspection at the offices of the FCC.

   [ 63 FR 49499 , Sept. 16, 1998, as amended at  64 FR 35947 , July 2, 1999;
    65 FR 7457 , Feb. 15, 2000;  65 FR 36378 , June 8, 2000;  65 FR 53614 ,
   Sept. 5, 2000;  73 FR 13463 , Mar. 13, 2008;  73 FR 15450 , Mar. 24, 2008;
    73 FR 30316 , May 27, 2008;  73 FR 36283 , June 26, 2008]

   Effective Date Note:   At  73 FR 13463 , Mar. 13, 2008, § 73.3527 was
   amended by revising paragraphs (b) and (e)(8) and at  73 FR 30316 , May
   27, 2008, further amended by adding paragraphs (e)(8)(i) and
   (e)(8)(ii). These paragraphs contain information collection and
   recordkeeping requirements and will not become effective until approval
   has been given by the Office of Management and Budget.