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The
FCC's Public Notice on Mandatory Electronic Filing
How to File an Application Electronically This link below explains the
electronic filing system generally, and provides links to both
the users guide and the login page: You may want to read through the users guide. Consult it first if you have questions. This link is the login page -- new users will have to create an account, which is very simple, type in your organization's name and address and select a password, and the system assigns you an account number: http://svartifoss2.fcc.gov/cgi-bin/ws.exe/prod/cdbs/forms/prod/cdbsmenu.hts After you log in, a menu will appear that gives Form 318 (applying for a LPFM station) as an option. Click on it. Advantage of the Electronic Form One advantage of this sytem is that you can save portions of your form and return to complete it later. Thus, if you have a problem, you can save all the completed portions and return to the form another day. To return to the form, login to your account, and look for it at the bottom of the page. Click on the hypertext link (in blue and underlined) to resume work on your form. Completing the Form First, you will complete a "pre form." You will want to create a description for your form. You can call it anything you want. This description will be the name for the file if you want to go back and complete portions of it later. For example, you can call it "My Form" or use your organization's name. After you select enter, if the appropriate sections of the pre-form have been complete, you will be moved to Section I, General Information. The contact information you entered when you created the account will be automatically entered. If you want to change this information or add a Contact Rep, you will need to use "Account Maintenance" on the Main Menu page. To do this, you must go to the Main Menu page. To get to the Main Menu from within a partially completed form, click on Menu, and then on Main Menu at the bottom of the page. Account Maintenance is a button on the top of the Main Menu page. The next page will include a pull down menu -- select "contact rep" or "licensee applicant" to add or correct this information and click "continue." After you complete Section I, you can complete the rest of the form in any order. To move to another section of the form, select "Menu" at the bottom of the page, and then select the Section number you wish to change. You can save any data you want without actually submitting it to the FCC. Thus, you may want to hit save after you enter information so that you do not lose it by mistake. If you want to change information, you may return to a blank in the form and type over it. This is very similar to how a word processor operates. You type information, you save it, but you can change it and save the new information any time. If you want to quickly clear out all the information in any Section, click on the "clear" button. Particular Example: Section II, Question 3, Parties to the Application Click on "Enter Parties/Owners Information" to answer Question 3. Once you complete the first entry, click enter. After you do this, the system will allow you to enter another person. For each person, the system will create a box for you to click on in case you need to change that information. They call the boxes "copy 1" and "copy 2" etc. Finishing a Section When you are done with a Section, or part of a section, you should save it. In addition when you believe the Section is complete, you can use the "validate" button. This button will perform a basic check to make sure you completed all blanks that must be completed, make sure dates are entered in the right form, and will check that you have put in text and numbers in the right boxes. "Validate" also automatically saves the information. If it finds an error, a pop-up box will notify you. After you close the pop-up box, it will position the cursor in the box where the error occurred. Simply type over to correct the mistake. If you do not know what to do, save the file and you can come back to it later after you have found the correct answer. Some errors will be caught at a later stage in the process, when you actually file the application. When you are done with a page, you can click on "previous" to return to the previous page, or, you can click on Menu to return to the menu page. Exhibits You can add exhibits in two ways. The first step for both ways is to click on the button with "Exihibit" and then a number. For example, in Section II, Question 2, click on "Exhibit 2." This will bring you to a new page that will allow you to either type in the information directly, or, to select a word processing or other file that you have already prepared. To enter information directly, simply type it in the area provided. To attach a file, click on "Add/View Attachments." This brings you to a page that allows you to upload a file. Select "Browse" and you can use a typical navigation device to find your file. (If you have a file on a floppy disk, look in drive A, for example. If your file is on your hard drive, you must go to the place where your file is.) You must use the bottom pull down menu to view all the files you have on your computer or disk. Use the second pull down menu called "files of type" to select "All Files (*.*)". This way you can see all the files and select the one you want to attach. Click on the file you want to choose. Select the type of file (for example, if it is a document prepared using Microsoft Word, select that item on the pull down menu). When you have selected the correct document, click on send attached file." This doesn't send your file anywhere, but it attaches it to the form. Later the description you enter will appear on the form as a hypertext link. You can click on this link later to view or save your file. Filing the Form When you are done with all the Sections, you can file the form. Go to the Main Menu. You will see your form at the bottom of the Main Menu with the description you chose for it. Click the circle under "Select" to select your application. Then click on the "File Form" button at the bottom of the page. The system will now do a more thorough check of your form. If there are problems, it will tell you by making a list with blue dots for each mistake. Clicking on the blue dot will take you to the Section of the form where the error is located. If you want, you can correct the errors and refile the form right away. YOU SHOULD NOT WAIT UNTIL THE LAST MINUTE TO FILE YOUR FORM SO THAT YOU HAVE TIME TO FIX ERRORS. You will know that you have successfully completed your form when the status next to it on the Main Menu says "READY." You can write down the ARN number at that time for your records. Other Items of Interest If you want, you can print a
copy of the whole form from the Main Menu.
202-418-2662 (for electronic
forms help generally), or If you do not have a computer, we suggest visiting your local library. If you have no way to access a computer, please call the Microradio Implementation Project at 877-468-8884.
Getting a Waiver if You Cannot File Electronically If an applicant cannot file electronically, the applicant can seek a waiver. The attached public notice explains that the applicant should first seek assistance from the Bureau's help electronic filing help desk, and should explain that the help desk could not resolve the problem when seeking a waiver. The relevant numbers are: 202-418-2662 (for electronic forms help generally), or 202-418-2831 (Mass Media Bureau electronic forms assistance), or 202-418-2700 (the Mass Media Bureau Audio Services Division). The Bureau has made an extremely high commitment to staffing the electronic filing help number, particularly during the LPFM filing window. In addition, the applicant should explain "with particularity" why it cannot file electronically. Make sure to keep detailed notes about the difficulties experienced, whom you speak with at the FCC and what they say. If the staff cannot help you, make sure to tell them you are going to seek a waiver so that you can file on paper. In the event of an emergency (if the applicant did not act prudently and work on its electronic filing in advance as it should), there is a possible way to file anyway. If an applicant tries to file electronically and can't, it can seek a waiver so that the application will be considered filed on the day it unsuccessfully tried to file. Therefore, if you have an electronic filing emergency on the last day of the window, you can mail in your paper application afterward. But, you must mail in the request within FIVE DAYS after you tried to file electronically. In addition, if an applicant is aware that it cannot file electronically ahead of time, the applicant can prepare a waiver request and mail it to the FCC with its application on during the filing window. Under this situation, MAP recommends calling the FCC phone numbers listed above and explaining the problem. (For example, I live on an Indian reservation and I do not have a high enough Internet speed to submit large documents via the Internet). Ask if they have suggestions, (if they have a good idea, try it!) but if they do not, tell them you are going to seek a waiver and submit the application with a waiver request during the window. (Don't forget to file the "stamp & return" copy so that the FCC will send you a receipt verifying when they received it). The waiver request can be in the form of a cover letter in which you explicitly ask for a waiver of the FCC's mandatory electronic filing rule and explaining (as described above) why the applicant could not file electronically and describing your discussions with FCC staff. Please remember-- A WAIVER IS
NOT GUARANTEED. You are asking for the FCC to allow you to file,
they do not have to grant your request. So, do not ask unless
you really can't file electronically, because you are taking
a risk. 
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