Last Revised: 10/03

**Public Participation in the License Renewal Process**

All broadcast station licenses are granted by the Commission for eight
years. Currently, all radio station licenses are scheduled to expire
between 2003 and 2006. All television station licenses are scheduled to
expire between 2004 and 2007. Each station must file an application for
license renewal four months prior to the expiration date of the
station\'s license, in accordance with a schedule set forth in the
Commission's Rules. Instructions on obtaining Internet access to that
schedule are set forth below. A paper copy of the renewal schedule is
included in the public handout for this hearing. Stations also must file
a Broadcast Equal Employment Opportunity Program Report (FCC Form 396)
at the same time. During the license renewal process, viewers and
listeners of the stations whose licenses are up for renewal may
participate in the process either by filing a petition to deny or
informal objections against a renewal or by filing positive comments
about a broadcaster's service. The petition to deny is more formal and
must meet certain requirements discussed below.

**License Renewal Filing Dates; License Expiration Dates**

Radio and television station license renewal dates are based on the
location

(state, territory, etc.) of the station\'s community of license, not the
station\'s transmitter site location. All radio, or all television,
station licenses in a particular state expire on the same date. States
are then placed into geographical groups and all of the radio, or
television, station licenses in a particular geographical grouping of
states expire on the same date. For example, all radio station licenses
in North and South Carolina will expire on December 1, 2003. All
television station licenses in North and South Carolina will expire on
December 1, 2004. Links to information on the license renewal
application filing dates and license expiration dates for radio and
television stations can be found at:
http://www.fcc.gov/localism/renewals.html

**Petitions to Deny / Informal Objections**

A petition to deny or an informal objection to a radio license renewal
application may be filed AFTER the filing of the license renewal
application. Notices of the filing

of license renewal applications will be posted in the public notices
listed at, for radio station applications:
<http://www.fcc.gov/fcc-bin/audio/cur_Broadcast_Applications.html>. It
is expected that the Commission's website will also post notices of the
filing of television station license renewal applications prior to the
commencement of the next television station license renewal cycle in
2004. The Commission's Consolidated Database System (CDBS) will also
contain records pertaining to the license renewal applications.

The last day for filing petitions to deny is ONE MONTH PRIOR to the
license

expiration date. The petition to deny deadline date for radio stations
licensed to communities in North and South Carolina is November 1, 2003.

**Example.** The expiration date for a radio station in Colorado is
December 1, 2004. The LAST DAY that a petition to deny against a timely
renewal application may be filed is November 1, 2004. An exception is
where the LAST DAY falls on a Saturday, Sunday, holiday, or on a date
that the Commission is closed for business, in which case the LAST DAY
is extended to the first full business day thereafter. For example, the
expiration date for a radio station in Virginia was October 1, 2003.
September 1, 2003 was a holiday. In this instance, the LAST DAY that a
petition to deny could be filed was September 2, 2003. Petitions to Deny
are considered to be filed with the Commission only upon their receipt
by the Commission at either of the addresses set out below,
[not]{.underline} when they are mailed or postmarked.

[Procedure for Filing Petitions to Deny]{.underline}

Petitions to deny broadcast station license renewals (a signed original
and two copies) must be mailed or delivered to one of the following FCC
addresses:

**U.S. Postal Service Mail**

Office of the Secretary

Federal Communications Commission

445 12th Street SW

Washington, D.C. 20554

ATTN: Audio Division, License Renewal Processing Team

Mail Stop 1800B

OR

Video Division, License Renewal Processing Team

Room 2-A665

**Messenger or Hand Delivered Filings, and Filings Delivered by Other
Than USPS**

Office of the Secretary

Federal Communications Commission

c/o Natek, Inc.

236 Massachusetts Ave., N.E.

Suite 110

Washington, DC 20002

ATTN: Audio Division, License Renewal Processing Team

Mail Stop 1800B

OR

Video Division, License Renewal Processing Team

Room 2-A665

In addition, courtesy copies may be sent directly to the Audio Division,
License Renewal Processing Team (for radio) or the Video Division,
License Renewal Processing Team (for television), using the addresses
set forth above.

A petition to deny must contain a certification that a copy of the
petition was also mailed to the station, and must contain an affidavit
of a person with personal knowledge attesting that the facts contained
in the petition are true.

**Petition to Deny Requirements.** First, to file a petition to deny, a
person must be a "party in interest" and have "standing." That means,
generally, that the person must have more than a passing interest in the
station. He or she must be a regular listener or viewer or have some
other contact with the station that gives the petitioner a real stake in
outcome of the renewal process. Also, a petition must be supported by an
affidavit of a person or persons with personal knowledge of the
allegations of fact contained in the petition. Additionally, a petition
to deny license renewal must be "timely." That is, as noted above, a
petition to deny must be filed at least one month prior to the license
expiration date. Finally, as noted above, failure to include a
certification that a copy of the petition was also mailed to the station
and the affidavit may result in dismissal of the petition to deny.

**Procedure for Filing Informal Objections.** A person or entity
opposing the grant of a radio station\'s license renewal application may
file an informal objection against the license renewal application at
any time prior to staff action on the license renewal application. An
informal objection is less formal than a petition to deny, but some
requirements still apply. It may take the form of a letter signed by the
objector and mailed or delivered to one of the FCC addresses above. An
informal objection need not contain the affidavit required for a
petition to deny. It should, however, contain sufficient information to
establish any violation alleged. Additionally, an informal objection not
received by the time the station's license renewal application has been
granted by the Commission will not be considered.

**Filing Positive Comments.** Affirmative comments concerning a
licensee's service during the prior license term should be filed by the
petition to deny deadline date and be filed with the Commission's
Secretary at the same address indicated above.

[Additional Suggestions for Filers]{.underline}

To help the staff expeditiously associate a petition to deny, informal
objection or positive comment with the proper license renewal
application, a petition to deny, informal objection or positive comment
should identify (1) the station\'s call sign, city and state, (2) the
station\'s facility ID number, and (3) the license renewal application
file number. This information, which is available on CDBS through the
Commission's website, should be listed on the first page of the
submission.