The most recent draft of the Radio and Television Broadcast Law proposes to codify an open tender process, but there is no guarantee that the law will pass in its current form. When there is disagreement over the decision of a regional committee or the FSTR regarding either the rejection of an application or the arbitration between competing applicants, the FSTR may ask for the opinion of the FSTR Conflict Commission. This committee functions only in an advisory role, and it is only called upon when the FSTR wants another viewpoint. FSTR's Sergei Ivanov says that the decisions of the Conflict Commission are taken seriously, but that the FSTR rarely requires its services. The committee is currently headed by Yassen Zasoursky, dean of the Moscow State University Journalism Faculty, and the other committee members are also influential in media policy.
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After five years, if there are no contesting applicants, and if stations have broken no laws, licenses should be automatically renewed. However, in theory no preference will be given to current holders of licenses, and there is a great deal of uncertainty about whether the relicensing system will throw all licenses open to possible broadcasters, or whether stations that currently have licenses have a reasonable expectation of holding on to them. Further, there is no precedent in Russian experience upon which to base such decisions. The FSTR has the authority to revoke licenses for failure to broadcast for more than three months, for breach of licensing terms, or for fraud. Decisions may be appealed in court.