FCC Gives One More Tutorial on Eve of Start of Online TV Station Public File
FCC staff Wednesday conducted a last instructional webinar for broadcasters preparing for the new online public file display system debuting the next day that staff said will make it easy for the public to access the documents without having to physically view them at a TV station. The online instructional was hastily scheduled after audio problems delayed Tuesday afternoon’s session by more than an hour, causing many participants to leave early, said broadcast lawyer Harry Cole of Fletcher Heald (http://bit.ly/OpVRk3).
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The FCC’s system will automatically populate files from the Consolidated Database System to a station’s public page, including political files, but broadcasters will be responsible for making sure they meet all public file requirements, FCC Chief Data Chief Greg Elin said. Broadcasters should focus on local files that aren’t required to be filed with the commission through CDBS, which could include citizen’s agreements, joint sales agreements and program lists, FCC staff said. They said only files that need to be publicly posted by Thursday need to be online that day, and stations have six months to complete a migration of already-filed public documents to the online system. The NAB is suing the FCC over the political file portion of the order.
The broadcaster’s interface is a Web-based system that can be accessed through Firefox, Chrome, Internet Explorer and Apple’s Safari, and allows different options for multiple-document uploads, deleting and correcting documents and making files invisible if they aren’t required. The system features a file directory system familiar to most computer users, with titled folders and subfolders containing the relevant documents within. FCC staff said broadcasters need to create file folders and organize the documents appropriately, not simply upload all files into one folder. For instance, political files should be uploaded to folders featuring a candidate’s name, a PAC or an advocacy group, not grouped within a large folder and therefore difficult to find. The system includes auto-fill features that will correctly spell names and places on folders.
Broadcasters will have two ways to log onto the system: Individual stations can sign in using its facility ID number, while FCC Registration Number holders can use their passwords to get the facility passcodes for their stations. If more than one employee is responsible for managing the public file, the facility ID and passcode will have to be shared, because there’s no option for individual passcodes to be issued, FCC staff said.
The FCC encouraged broadcasters to begin experimenting with the system on Wednesday, and Elin said they should “try to break it” in order to discover potential technical issues early. Once a file is uploaded, the system will scan it for viruses and convert it to a PDF file, which will prevent malicious threats that can be hidden inside some file formats. The system will accept several common file formats, including .doc, .docx, .htm, .html, .ppt, .pdf, .rtf, .xls. FCC staff said other files formats could be added at users’ request.
The site features a “drag and drop” area where multiple files can be uploaded together, though this isn’t available on Internet Explorer. Users of the cloud-based storage system Dropbox can sync with the FCC’s system, and controls are built in so that any Dropbox upload must be confirmed through the site to avoid accidental posting of sensitive information. FCC staff said other storage systems will be compatible in the future, including Box and Microsoft’s Skydrive.
Broadcasters are obliged to “the extent feasible” to post searchable documents, FCC staff said. For instance, online users should submit a .doc file and let the FCC system convert it to PDF rather than making that conversion themselves and potentially losing the ability for the system to facilitate keyword searches. There is a limit on document size of 25 MB, but staff said this could be changed if needed.
Making the public file available online doesn’t relieve broadcasters of the obligation to maintain a public file available for viewing at the station office, FCC staff said. TV stations don’t have to keep a paper file, but should have an available computer terminal for the public if their file includes documents that are only available digitally. Not all stations have the same public file requirements now, because only top-50 market stations and ABC, CBS, Fox and NBC affiliates are currently required to publicly post political documents. All stations will have to meet the political document requirements in 2014, under the order approved in April (CD April 30 p2) FCC staff said. Commissioner Robert McDowell dissented on the political file portion of that order.
Participants in Wednesday’s webinar asked several questions on how political ads need to be filed. Does a Democratic National Committee ad featuring President Barack Obama’s image get filed in “DNC” or “Obama,” one asked. Staffers said they believed Obama’s image would lend it to be placed in the Obama folder, and asked whether Obama was positively displayed for more than 4 seconds in the hypothetical ad.
A comprehensive Frequently Asked Questions section should help guide broadcasters, FCC staff said. They cautioned broadcasters to check the FAQ often during the initial launch, because it’s being revised to clarify some details and could change. “We fully expect that TV stations will make their best effort to comply with the new rules,” NAB spokesman Dennis Wharton told us. FCC staff encouraged broadcasters to contact them at 877-480-3201 or through the site’s (http://bit.ly/OpU4eR) built-in support system.