Are you among the lucky 5% of radio station owners who will randomly receive an Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) audit for 2024? You’ll soon find out, as the FCC Enforcement Bureau has initiated its first round of verification checks.
Stations that end up on the audit list must submit their EEO compliance documentation to the FCC’s online public inspection files by May 6. A template of the audit letter is available on the FCC website for reference along with the EEO rules.
As a reminder, the Enforcement Bureau will not send out completion letters post-audit — a change that was seen in 2023 for the first time. Instead, stations will be contacted directly only if further inquiries or issues arise during the audit.
Failure to meet EEO audit requirements or to provide necessary documentation could lead to enforcement actions from the FCC. Penalties vary based on the violation’s gravity and the station’s compliance history and may range from fines to license revocation or refusal of renewal.
Additionally, stations might be obligated to adopt new EEO policies or practices and undergo future compliance monitoring.
As part of FCC Chairwoman Rosenworcel’s crackdown on stations in violation of EEO requirements, the Enforcement Bureau has been doling out fines for stations not adhering to the policies. A recent and costly example includes a $25,000 fine against nine Kansas stations then-owned by Monte and Doris Miller’s Rocking M Media.
— Reporting by Cameron Coats, in New York
