Company: IHETW
Filing Date: 2025-02-27
Form Type: 10-K
Source: 0001400891-25-000009
Chunk: 20

Company: iHeartMedia, Inc.
Filing Date: 2025-02-27
Form: 10-K
Item: Item 1
Chunk 20
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.” included elsewhere in this Annual Report on Form 10-K.

Regulation of our Business

General

Radio broadcasting is subject to extensive regulation, including by the FCC under the Communications Act. The Communications Act permits the operation of a radio broadcast station only under a license issued by the FCC upon a finding that grant of the license would serve the public interest, convenience and necessity. Among other things, the Communications Act empowers the FCC to: issue, renew, revoke and modify broadcast licenses; assign frequency bands for broadcasting; 

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determine stations’ technical parameters; impose penalties and sanctions for violation of its regulations, including monetary forfeitures and, in extreme cases, license revocation; impose annual regulatory and application processing fees; and adopt and implement regulations and policies affecting the ownership, program content, employment practices and many other aspects of broadcast station operations.

This following summary does not comprehensively cover all current and proposed statutes, regulations and policies affecting our business. Reference should be made to the Communications Act, FCC rules, public notices and rulings and other relevant statutes, regulations, policies, and proceedings for further information concerning the nature and extent of regulation of our business. 

Transfer or Assignment of Licenses

The Communications Act prohibits the assignment of a license or the transfer of control of an FCC licensee without prior FCC approval. In determining whether to grant such approval, the FCC considers a number of factors pertaining to the existing licensee and the proposed licensee, including compliance with FCC rules and the “character” of the proposed licensees. Applications for license assignments or transfers involving a substantial change in ownership are subject to a 30‑day period for public comment, during which parties may petition to deny such applications.

License Renewal

The FCC grants broadcast licenses for a term of up to eight years. The FCC will renew a license for an additional eight‑year term if, after consideration of the renewal application and any objections thereto, it finds that the station has served the public interest, convenience and necessity and that, with respect to the station seeking renewal, there have been no serious violations of the Communications Act or the FCC’s rules and no pattern of abuse of the Communications Act or FCC rules. The FCC may grant the license renewal application with or without conditions, including renewal for a term less than eight years, although renewal for less than the full eight‑year term is uncommon. While we cannot guarantee the unconditional grant of any future renewal application, our stations’ licenses historically have been renewed for the full eight‑year term.

Ownership Regulation

FCC rules and policies