Entercom Asks FCC To Scrap Contest Rule Airing Requirement

Petitions The FCC

ENTERCOM has filed a petition for rulemaking with the FCC asking that the Commission change its rules requiring contest rules to be aired by radio stations, reports COMMLAWBLOG.

The petition asks the Commission to "bring (the rule) in line with how the majority of Americans access and consume information in the 21st century and to provide relief to radio from mandated program content that is counterproductive and not the most effective to achieve the purposes of the Contest Rule."  The company notes that people "expect to instantly access information at their fingertips by merely logging on to a website, conducting a GOOGLE search, or using an app on their smart phone. Relying on broadcast announcements for material contest information may have been an acceptable way to attempt to inform the public about the terms of a contest when the Contest Rule was enacted in 1976, but it is certainly not the case today, especially when there are superior methods that are simple to implement."

The filing proposes allowing contest rules to be disclosed on station websites and via email, fax, mail, or in person on demand.

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