Questions
Is the public file check really free?
Yes. Type a call sign and you get the quarter-by-quarter table, with no sign-up. It reads the FCC’s public data, so anyone can run it for any station.
Is StationClerk affiliated with the FCC?
No. StationClerk is independent software. It reads the FCC’s public Online Public Inspection File data and isn’t affiliated with or endorsed by the Federal Communications Commission.
Does the check tell me whether my station is in compliance?
No. It shows what the FCC’s public file data shows: which quarters have a file in the Issues and Programs Lists folder and when each was uploaded. It can miss lists filed in other folders or renamed, so treat it as a starting point and talk to your communications counsel about anything that matters.
Who sees my check results?
Only you. Results pages aren’t listed in search engines, aren’t in our sitemap, and we don’t publish pages about individual stations.
What does the Desk cost?
$19 per station per month, or $190 per station per year (two months free). Cancel anytime. A group with several stations buys one subscription with the number of stations as the quantity.
How do we pay?
By card through Stripe’s checkout. Link (Stripe’s checkout service) is the seller of record, sends the receipts and handles sales tax. There are no contracts, invoices to process or sales calls.
Do you upload the list for us?
No. The Desk builds the list and the PDF; your station uploads it to its own public file (we give you the steps). We never sign in to the FCC on your behalf.
Do you use AI to write the list?
Only if you ask. The optional “Draft a neutral description” button suggests a short narrative from the facts you type, clearly labeled “Suggested — review and edit before use”. Everything else is your own text.
What if the FCC moves a deadline?
We follow the FCC’s public notices. After the 2025 shutdown, for example, lists due October 10, 2025 were given until December 1, 2025, and the check uses that date.
Who runs StationClerk?
A small independent software service. The only contact is hello@stationclerk.com, and every feature is self-serve.
How the check works, and its limits
- We read the station’s Issues and Programs Lists folder in the FCC’s Online Public Inspection File, including its subfolders, and match each file to a calendar quarter from its name (for example “Q3 2025”, “3rd Quarter”, “July–September”) and the folder it’s in.
- If a name has no quarter, we match it by upload date only when it was uploaded between the start of a quarter’s last month and that quarter’s due date. Anything less certain is marked Needs a look.
- Due dates are the 10th of the month after each quarter. When the 10th falls on a weekend or federal holiday we show the next business day (47 CFR 1.4(j)). Upload times are the FCC’s timestamps, compared in Eastern time against 11:59:59 PM on the due date. When several files cover one quarter, the earliest upload counts.
- The license term is the license expiration date minus 8 years. The renewal filing date follows 47 CFR 73.3539(a): the first day of the fourth full calendar month before expiration. Confirm both with your counsel.
- What it can miss: lists uploaded to a different folder; lists for a station acquired or newly licensed during the term (earlier quarters may belong to a previous licensee or not apply); files renamed or moved after upload; one file covering several quarters; and stations that changed call signs. The FCC’s data can also change or be briefly unavailable.
- This is a description of what the FCC’s public data shows, not a finding about any station. The station is responsible for its own public file.