FCC Seeks Online Repository for Local TV Political Ad Data

Logo of the United States Federal Communications Commission, used on their website and some publications since the early 2000s. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)At their April 27 meeting, FCC Commissioners are expected to push for regulations requiring local television stations to submit data to a central Website about political advertising that they air, the New York Times reports.

Stations already compile such information, which documents programming and cash outlay on political ads, but object to the FCC plan, which they argue would be financially onerous and of little use to the public. The agency and advocates of the plan, however, claim transparency regarding political ads will increase and members of the public will have easier access to such data if it is warehoused online at one site. The FCC contends stations would spend under $1,000 to upload the data and would ultimately realize a savings in storage and printing costs.