FCC Chair Wants to Expand Political Disclosures

Tom Wheeler

Back in 2012, the FCC passed a rule requiring that broadcast stations post online publicly available files detailing agreements for sales of political ads. Now, according to Variety,  FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler is proposing that that requirement be extended to satellite, radio and cable outlets.

The proposal to expand the requirement was to be circulated among other FCC commissioners on Thursday.

The proposal would not just apply to files on political ad sales, but other public documents, like public interest statements.

The political ad files, however, have generated the most interest, drawing millions of hits to the FCC’s website, according to an FCC official.

The proposal calls for the requirement to apply initially to big stations and major cable operators first, and then be phased in to smaller entities. That is the same rollout that the FCC used in its requirement for broadcasters.

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