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Earlier this year, the FCC released a Report and Order updating the political file rules to make them consistent with the Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act of 2002. The political file rules now codify the extension of the requirement that any request for the purchase of advertising time that communicates a message relating to any political matter of national importance (i.e. issue ads) requires that specific information be placed in the station’s online public file.
Upon receiving such a request, the broadcast licensee must place and maintain in their online political file, a record of the request together with all the records identified in Section 315(e)(2)1 for issue ads, including whether the request was accepted or rejected, the rate charged, the date and time the ad was aired, the class of time purchased, the issue to which the communication refers, and the name and contact of the individual or organization purchasing the ad. However, that material is not required for ads that pertain to state or local issues of public importance.
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