Updated July 8, 2024
REC Networks is working to address the shortcomings of the raw data that is now delivered by the FCC with the replacement of the old CDBS application filing system with the new LMS system that went into service for most FM broadcast applications on September 25, 2019.
Currently, the FCC ships out on a daily basis, a raw data file of each broadcast related application in LMS. Some of the information in the raw data is of bad quality (with errors) and many critical data elements are still missing.
Once fully implemented, eLMS will review each new broadcast application as it is filed and convert that into a data source that we can use throughout our system universe.
How does eLMS work?
eLMS builds upon REC's existing functionality that frequently monitors the public access portal of the FCC's License Management System (LMS). This is the functionality that drives our FCC.today website.
When either an application or amendment is filed, applications that qualify for eLMS handling are then referred to the eLMS system. eLMS will then retrieve the application and read the data that was entered and writes it to a database. For applications involving engineering, eLMS will also call to the FCC's mapping interface systems (API) in order to get the facility's service contours. During the business day, this process normally takes about 20 minutes from the filing until when it appears in our systems.
When an application is granted, a similar process is done to read the application and then eLMS will retreive the application's authorization document and read the data off of that and update the database accordingly. Other staff actions, such as dismissals will also result in another query and ingestion of the application information.
eLMS also interfaces with the raw data that is provided by the FCC through their CDBS, LMS and IBFS (for shortwave broadcast stations) to maintain a master application list for each service.
Various REC projects such as the Radio History Project and the BAPS Restoral Project are also included in some of the eLMS data.
What does REC do with eLMS?
For qualfiied services eLMS drives the popular FCCdata.org website. Because of our "near real-time" updating ability, applications filed at the FCC could appear in FCCdata within about 20 minutes of being filed at the FCC.
eLMS also provides a much more robust data product for REC which assists in research and statistics as well as for our engineering functions. It fills in many of the holes that were created when the FCC converted radio from CDBS to LMS.
Which broadcast services and application types are fully supported by eLMS?
Fully supported applications are ingested by the eLMS system at the time of filing and at the time of action.
| Full-Service FM, LPFM, FM Translators, FM Boosters | AM Stations | TV Stations, Class A TV and Low Power TV (digital only) | International Broadcast Stations | |
| Applications with engineering (CPs, modifications, license to cover, modify license, etc.) | Yes | No | No | No |
| Assignments/Transfers | Yes | Yes | Yes | No |
| Consummation Notices | Yes | Yes | Yes | N/A |
| Notice of Non-consummation | Yes | Yes | Yes | N/A |
| Extension of Consummation | Yes | Yes | Yes | N/A |
| EEO Reports | Yes | Yes | Yes | N/A |
| Ownership Reports | Yes | Yes | Yes | N/A |
| Administrative Updates | Yes | Yes | Yes | No |
| Renewals | Yes | Yes | Yes | No |
| Special Temporary Authority (Legal) | Yes | No | Yes | No |
| Special Temporary Authority (Engineering) | No (possibly 2024) | No | No | No |
| Silent and resumption of operations | Yes | Yes | Yes | No |
| Digital Notification | Yes | Yes | N/A | N/A |
| Modulation Dependent Carrier Level | N/A | Yes | N/A | N/A |
| Ancillary/Supplemental Service | N/A | N/A | Yes | N/A |
| Change Main Studio/Control Point | N/A | N/A | Yes | N/A |
| Change in Primary Station | Yes | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Cancellation of License | Yes | Yes | Yes | N/A |
| Tolling & CP Extensions | Yes | Yes | Yes | N/A |
| Withdrawal of application | Yes | Yes | Yes | N/A |
| Program Test Authority | Yes | Yes | N/A | N/A |
| Call Sign Requests | Yes | Yes | Yes | N/A |
eLMS Data Tables
Here's a list of the tables in eLMS. Files are normally linked through the hexidecimal LMS application identifier.
Public copies of raw data are currently unavailable. We may offer something in the future. This list goes demonstrates the data that we collect.
Using table application or the applist_* tables are your best starting point.
| alien_ownership | 08/2021 | Tracks the data entered on the application regarding alien ownership. |
| altc_applicant | 08/2022 | Applicant data from applications for assignments and tranfers. |
| altc_consummation | 08/2022 | Consummation notice data. Filed when the transaction (such as a station sale) from a previously granted assignment application has been completed. |
| altc_details | 08/2022 | Answers to the various questions asked on an assignment or transfer application. |
| altc_facility | 08/2021 | Listings of the facilities invlolved in an assignment or transfer of control. |
| ancillary | 05/2022 | Information from annual ancillary/supplemental service report. |
| ancillary_services | 05/2022 | Information about each individual ancillary or supplemental service on the annual report. |
| antenna | 08/2021 | Field values of directional FM antennas. |
| application | 08/2022 | Header details for applications managed in eLMS. |
| application_service | 05/2022 | Code table to indicate the service code of a record. |
| application_status | 05/2022 | Code table to indicate the status of an application. |
| application_type | 05/2022 | Code table to indicate the type of application. |
| applist_am | 05/2022 | Master application list for AM radio. (Engineering data is in CDBS) |
| applist_dtv | 05/2022 | Master application list for TV applications related to the 2009 digital television conversion. |
| applist_fm | 05/2022 | Master application list for FM radio. (Engineering data is in eLMS) |
| applist_hf | 05/2022 | Master application list for international broadcast stations. (Engineering data is in IBFS) |
| applist_kidvid | 05/2022 | Master application list of Children's Televisions Reports (eLMS does not store specifc program information included in the submissions, nor is it kept in the REC data store.) |
| applist_repack | 05/2022 | Master application list of TV applications related to the repack. |
| applist_tv | 05/2022 | Master application list of TV, except for the DTV conversion, children's television reports and the repack. (Engineering data is in LMS) |
| attachments | 05/2022 | Links to the attached documents included in LMS applications including FCC decision letters. |
| callsign_request | 05/2022 | Applications related to adding, changing and exchanging call signs. |
| cancellation | 05/2022 | Additional details on authorizations being cancelled. |
| conditions | 05/2022 | Special conditions that appear on authorization documents for permits and licenses. |
| contact_info | 05/2022 | Contact information including legal and engineering contacts. |
| digital | 07/2024 | Digital notifications. |
| eeo | 05/2022 | Answers to questions on the EEO Report. |
| eeo_common | 05/2022 | Facilities included in an EEO Report. |
| facility | 05/2022 | Listing of facilities by Facility ID |
| fair_distribution | 05/2022 | NCE Window population counts, REC adjustments and other REC application tracking. |
| fmeng | 05/2022 | Engineering details for FM facilities. |
| fm_contour | 05/2022 | Geographic coordinates to plot service contours. |
| fm_ind | 05/2022 | Answers to various FM specific questions on FM applications. |
| fx_seco | 07/2024 | FM Translator second and third adjacent channel contour overlaps. |
| legal | 05/2022 | Answers to the legal questions on FM applications. |
| lpfm_seco | 07/2024 | LPFM second-adjacent channel short spacings. |
| main_studio_ctrl_pt | 05/2022 | Main studio and control points. |
| mdcl | 05/2022 | Modulation Dependent Carrier Level AM filings. |
| mx_dismissal_reason | 05/2022 | Code table of reasons why an LPFM or NCE original construction permit was dismissed. |
| mx_facility | 05/2022 | Applications that were filed in a LPFM or NCE filing window. |
| mx_group | 05/2022 | Identification of groups of mutually exclusive applications in a LPFM or NCE filing window. |
| mx_notes | 05/2022 | Notes made by REC at the MX Group level. |
| mx_relationship | 05/2022 | Linkage to how one application is MX to another. (In effect as of the close of the window, not reflecting amendments) |
| mx_window | 05/2022 | LPFM and NCE filing windows supported by eLMS. |
| nce_contour | 05/2022 | Geographic coordinates to plot interfering contours of new NCE stations from 2021 filing window. |
| owr | 05/2022 | Header data for ownership reports. |
| owr_attrib | 05/2022 | Attributable interests on ownership reports. |
| owr_docs | 05/2022 | Agreements and contracts on ownership reports. |
| owr_facility | 05/2022 | Facilities included in the ownership report. |
| owr_facility_group | 05/2022 | Ownership groups and related FRN from the ownership report. |
| owr_family | 05/2022 | Ownership report familial relationships. |
| owr_newspaper | 05/2022 | Ownership report newspaper cross-ownership |
| owr_org_chart | 05/2022 | Ownership report links to organizational charts. |
| owr_owner | 05/2022 | Information about specific persons or corporations that are a party to that station/group. |
| party | 05/2022 | Parties to an application. |
| pn | 05/2022 | FCC (broadcast) Applications public notices |
| pn_application | 05/2022 | Applications appearing on each public notice. |
| point_system | 05/2022 | Noncommercial educational and LPFM point system points claimed on application. |
| pop_area | 05/2022 | Population within service contour based on FCC Contours API. |
| renewal | 05/2022 | License renewal details. |
| silence_log | 07/2022 | Log of broadcast facility silence. |
| sta | 05/2022 | Special Temporary Authority (including silent stations) |
| tolling | 07/2022 | Tolling (extension) requests. |
| vacant_fm_allotments | 05/2022 | List of vacant FM allotments found in ยง73.202. |
| widefm_allotments | 07/2022 | REC WIDE-FM Proposal: Proposed Table of Allotments and hypothetical LPFM stations. |
| widefm_tv_facilities | 07/2022 | REC WIDE-FM Proposal: TV Channel 5 and 6 facilities. |
| widefm_tv_haat | 07/2022 | REC WIDE-FM Proposal: TV Channel 5 and 6 facilities - distance to the appropriate contours. |
