Political Broadcasting Information

The OAB, through our FCC counsel of Brooks, Pierce, McLendon, Humphrey & Leonard LLP, provides members with a number of political broadcasting resources. In addition to the resources below, you may also wish to call the OAB’s  FCC hotline with questions.

Nuts and Bolts of Political Broadcasting Guide
In October 2019, the Brooks Pierce law firm updated its Nuts and Bolts of Political Broadcasting for OAB members.  This comprehensive guide to political broadcasting rules and regulations is provided at no cost to OAB members.
The guide was updated in August 2020 to reflect recent actions by the Federal Communications Commission.  Most notably, in mid-October 2019, the Commission issued several Orders purporting to clarify several aspects of the statutory and FCC political file rules.  The Commission then issued further clarifications in April 2020.  And—most recently—in July and August 2020, the FCC has taken significant and far-reaching enforcement action targeted at political broadcasting compliance issues, issuing multiple consent decrees to broadcasters addressing various political file recordkeeping violations committed during the broadcasters’ respective prior license terms.
• A supplement to the Oct. 2019 version of the guide, which outlines only the updated sections is available here.
• Download the updated version of the complete guide here.
• Request a print copy here.

This guide should in no way be construed as legal advice or a legal opinion on any specific set of facts or circumstances.  Consult with personal legal counsel concerning any specific set of facts or circumstances.  The information does not establish an attorney-client relationship between any member and the OAB legal counsel.
WEBINAR:  Update on Political File Record Keeping Requirements – August 2020
This webinar, presented by the Brooks Pierce law firm, accompanied the revised version of the Nuts and Bolts of Political Broadcasting guide.  The session discussed recent developments by the FCC, provided important updates regarding political recordkeeping compliance, and reviewed the fundamental “do’s” and “don’ts” of the FCC political broadcasting rules.

An archive of the webinar and a pdf of the slide presentation are available to members.

This webinar should in no way be construed as legal advice or a legal opinion on any specific set of facts or circumstances. Consult with personal legal counsel concerning any specific set of facts or circumstances. The information provided in the webinar does not establish an attorney-client relationship between any member and the OAB legal counsel.

WEBINAR:  FCC Political File Record Keeping Requirements – January 2020
In Oct. 2019, the FCC provided what it described as “clarification” of certain aspects of political file record keeping requirements for broadcasters.  These “clarifications” have been appealed, but stations should be prepared to adjust their political file protocols.
The Brooks Pierce attorneys presented a webinar in January 2020 of “clarifications issued by the FCC in October 2019 regarding certain aspects of political file record keeping requirements for broadcasters.  An archive of the webinar and a pdf of the slide presentation are available to members.

This webinar should in no way be construed as legal advice or a legal opinion on any specific set of facts or circumstances. Consult with personal legal counsel concerning any specific set of facts or circumstances. The information provided in the webinar does not establish an attorney-client relationship between any member and the OAB legal counsel.

2019 Political Broadcasting Webinar – October 2019
The Brooks Pierce attorneys presented their biennial webinar updating members on political broadcasting rules for the 2020 election cycle in Oct. 2019.
The webinar archive and a pdf of the slides are available for OAB members.

This webinar should in no way be construed as legal advice or a legal opinion on any specific set of facts or circumstances. Consult with personal legal counsel concerning any specific set of facts or circumstances. The information provided in the webinar does not establish an attorney-client relationship between any member and the OAB legal counsel.

FCC Media Bureau Webinar – August 2020
This webinar, hosted by the National Alliance of State Broadcasters Associations (NASBA), featured a panel discussion with the FCC staff who oversee the on-line political file rules: Bobby Baker, Gary Schonman and Sima Nilsson.  The panel discussed the steps needed to comply with the FCC’s online political file rules, the impact on a station’s renewal and the FCC’s new consent decree process.  OAB members can access the session by clicking here and using the password: %W?6.xrV.

Political Resources
Ohio Secretary of State
Ohio County Boards of Elections