Datasets:

tensorust
/

broadcast-ownership-graph-sample

---
license: other
license_name: tensorust-sample-license
license_link: https://tensorust.com/datasets/broadcast-ownership-graph/
pretty_name: "Broadcast Station Ownership Graph (free sample)"
language:
- en
tags:
- tensorust
- sample
- media-and-telecom
- government-data
- finance
size_categories:
- n<1K
configs:
- config_name: sample
  data_files:
  - split: train
    path: sample.csv
- config_name: summary
  data_files:
  - split: train
    path: summary_by_community_state.csv
---

# Broadcast Station Ownership Graph: free sample (Tensorust LLC)

26,553 live US TV and radio stations traced through FCC ownership reports to 5,698 ultimate parents.

**Headline:** The licensee on a station's FCC record is often a holding LLC; the company that controls it sits one or more Form 323 ownership filings up the chain, and the FCC never rolls those chains up.

This repository is a **free teaser**, not the dataset. It holds 25 example rows and a summary table with no names in it. The full file has **26,553 rows** and is sold by Tensorust LLC: **[https://tensorust.com/datasets/broadcast-ownership-graph/](https://tensorust.com/datasets/broadcast-ownership-graph/)**.

## Files here

| file | what it is |
|---|---|
| `sample.csv` | 25 rows of the full file (the same sample shown on tensorust.com) |
| `summary_by_community_state.csv` | row counts by community state across the full file, no entity names (groups with fewer than 3 rows are folded into "Other") |

## Summary by community state (largest groups)

| Community state | rows |
|---|---|
| TX | 1,774 |
| CA | 1,688 |
| FL | 1,069 |
| NY | 973 |
| PA | 864 |
| NC | 833 |
| CO | 752 |
| GA | 747 |
| TN | 719 |
| OR | 714 |
| MN | 710 |
| MI | 708 |
| TOTAL | 26,553 |

Full table: `summary_by_community_state.csv`.

## What the full file has

- 26,553 rows
- Key fields: facility_id, call_sign, service, service_desc, channel, frequency, community_city, community_state, nielsen_dma_rank, network_affiliation
- Parquet and CSV, a README with sources, method and limits, and the build script
- Free 25-row sample (no personal contact data)

Coverage: Live (licensed, CP or experimental) AM, FM, translator, LPFM, full-power TV, Class A, LPTV and DTS facilities that appear in at least one current ownership report: 11,277 FM, 5,392 FM translator, 4,285 AM, 1,779 full-power digital TV and the rest LPTV, Class A and other services. FCC LMS data as of Aug 16 2026; built Nov 6 2026.

### Columns in the full file

| column | meaning |
|---|---|
| `facility_id` | FCC LMS facility |
| `call_sign` | FCC LMS facility |
| `service` | FCC LMS facility |
| `service_desc` | FCC LMS facility |
| `channel` | FCC LMS facility |
| `frequency` | FCC LMS facility |
| `community_city` | Community of license |
| `community_state` | Community of license |
| `nielsen_dma_rank` | Market rank and network as reported in LMS |
| `network_affiliation` | Market rank and network as reported in LMS |
| `licensee_name` | Licensee of record |
| `licensee_frn` | Licensee of record |
| `license_expiration_date` | Licensee of record |
| `ownership_report_count` | Respondents whose current Form 323 reports name the station, narrowest to broadest |
| `ownership_chain` | Respondents whose current Form 323 reports name the station, narrowest to broadest |
| `ultimate_parent` | Top respondent not controlled (50%+ voting) by another entity |
| `ultimate_parent_key` | Top respondent not controlled (50%+ voting) by another entity |
| `entity_holders_10pct` | Entity interest holders with 10%+ voting or equity (individuals never named) |
| `foreign_entity_citizenship` | Non-US citizenship codes reported for entity holders (self-reported, noisy) |
| `individual_holder_rows` | Count of individual interest-holder rows (names withheld) |
| `latest_report_as_of` | Latest ownership report as-of date |
| `parent_station_count` | Live stations under the same ultimate parent |
| `ontology_org_id` | Tensorust Ontology Organization match for the ultimate parent |

## Get the full file

| tier | price | includes |
|---|---|---|
| Market or group file | $750 | Every station in up to 5 DMAs or under up to 10 ultimate parents, with ownership chains, 10%+ entity holders and the foreign-citizenship flag. CSV and Excel. |
| National ownership graph | $3,900 | All 26,553 stations and the 5,698-parent roll-up, plus one refresh once FCC LMS publishes a current dump. |
| Yearly license with quarterly refresh | $9,600 a year | The national graph rebuilt each quarter from new ownership reports, with changes in control and new foreign-citizenship flags marked. Internal use, unlimited seats. |

Email **mattbusel@tensorust.com** with the tier and a billing contact, and we will send a proper invoice (ACH or card). The file is delivered once the invoice is paid. Details and the live sample: [https://tensorust.com/datasets/broadcast-ownership-graph/](https://tensorust.com/datasets/broadcast-ownership-graph/). All datasets: https://tensorust.com/datasets/

## Method and limits

Map each current ownership report in the FCC LMS dump to the facilities it names. For each respondent, check whether an entity holds 50% or more of the votes. The ultimate parent is the broadest uncontrolled respondent in the station's chain. Entity holders with 10%+ voting or equity are listed; individual holders are counted, never named. parent_rollup.csv groups stations by ultimate parent with TV, radio and state counts. Ultimate parents are matched to Tensorust Ontology organizations by name (17,743 stations matched).

Not a list of individual owners (individual interest holders are never named). Not current to the day: the LMS snapshot is Aug 16 2026. Stations that file no ownership report, many LPFM and translators among them, are absent. The roll-up is algorithmic: insulated interests, LMAs, JSAs and sharing agreements are not modeled. Citizenship codes are self-reported and noisy. Not legal advice on attribution or foreign ownership limits.

## Sources

- FCC Licensing and Management System (LMS) public database files, Form 323 / 323-E ownership reports and facility tables: https://enterpriseefiling.fcc.gov/dataentry/public/tv/lmsDatabase.html
- Internet Archive capture of the LMS files, Aug 16 2026 (LMS was in maintenance on Nov 5 2026): https://web.archive.org/
- Tensorust Ontology organization objects (name match for ultimate parents)

## License

The sample and summary here are free to view, analyze and cite with attribution to "Tensorust LLC, https://tensorust.com/datasets/broadcast-ownership-graph/". The full dataset is licensed separately per tier. No resale or redistribution of Tensorust data without a written license.

Tensorust LLC, Tuckahoe NY. mattbusel@tensorust.com | https://tensorust.com

	---
	license: other
	license_name: tensorust-sample-license
	license_link: https://tensorust.com/datasets/broadcast-ownership-graph/
	pretty_name: "Broadcast Station Ownership Graph (free sample)"
	language:
	- en
	tags:
	- tensorust
	- sample
	- media-and-telecom
	- government-data
	- finance
	size_categories:
	- n<1K
	configs:
	- config_name: sample
	data_files:
	- split: train
	path: sample.csv
	- config_name: summary
	data_files:
	- split: train
	path: summary_by_community_state.csv
	---

	# Broadcast Station Ownership Graph: free sample (Tensorust LLC)

	26,553 live US TV and radio stations traced through FCC ownership reports to 5,698 ultimate parents.

	Headline: The licensee on a station's FCC record is often a holding LLC; the company that controls it sits one or more Form 323 ownership filings up the chain, and the FCC never rolls those chains up.

	This repository is a free teaser, not the dataset. It holds 25 example rows and a summary table with no names in it. The full file has 26,553 rows and is sold by Tensorust LLC: [https://tensorust.com/datasets/broadcast-ownership-graph/](https://tensorust.com/datasets/broadcast-ownership-graph/).

	## Files here

	\| file \| what it is \|
	\|---\|---\|
	\| `sample.csv` \| 25 rows of the full file (the same sample shown on tensorust.com) \|
	\| `summary_by_community_state.csv` \| row counts by community state across the full file, no entity names (groups with fewer than 3 rows are folded into "Other") \|

	## Summary by community state (largest groups)

	\| Community state \| rows \|
	\|---\|---\|
	\| TX \| 1,774 \|
	\| CA \| 1,688 \|
	\| FL \| 1,069 \|
	\| NY \| 973 \|
	\| PA \| 864 \|
	\| NC \| 833 \|
	\| CO \| 752 \|
	\| GA \| 747 \|
	\| TN \| 719 \|
	\| OR \| 714 \|
	\| MN \| 710 \|
	\| MI \| 708 \|
	\| TOTAL \| 26,553 \|

	Full table: `summary_by_community_state.csv`.

	## What the full file has

	- 26,553 rows
	- Key fields: facility_id, call_sign, service, service_desc, channel, frequency, community_city, community_state, nielsen_dma_rank, network_affiliation
	- Parquet and CSV, a README with sources, method and limits, and the build script
	- Free 25-row sample (no personal contact data)

	Coverage: Live (licensed, CP or experimental) AM, FM, translator, LPFM, full-power TV, Class A, LPTV and DTS facilities that appear in at least one current ownership report: 11,277 FM, 5,392 FM translator, 4,285 AM, 1,779 full-power digital TV and the rest LPTV, Class A and other services. FCC LMS data as of Aug 16 2026; built Nov 6 2026.

	### Columns in the full file

	\| column \| meaning \|
	\|---\|---\|
	\| `facility_id` \| FCC LMS facility \|
	\| `call_sign` \| FCC LMS facility \|
	\| `service` \| FCC LMS facility \|
	\| `service_desc` \| FCC LMS facility \|
	\| `channel` \| FCC LMS facility \|
	\| `frequency` \| FCC LMS facility \|
	\| `community_city` \| Community of license \|
	\| `community_state` \| Community of license \|
	\| `nielsen_dma_rank` \| Market rank and network as reported in LMS \|
	\| `network_affiliation` \| Market rank and network as reported in LMS \|
	\| `licensee_name` \| Licensee of record \|
	\| `licensee_frn` \| Licensee of record \|
	\| `license_expiration_date` \| Licensee of record \|
	\| `ownership_report_count` \| Respondents whose current Form 323 reports name the station, narrowest to broadest \|
	\| `ownership_chain` \| Respondents whose current Form 323 reports name the station, narrowest to broadest \|
	\| `ultimate_parent` \| Top respondent not controlled (50%+ voting) by another entity \|
	\| `ultimate_parent_key` \| Top respondent not controlled (50%+ voting) by another entity \|
	\| `entity_holders_10pct` \| Entity interest holders with 10%+ voting or equity (individuals never named) \|
	\| `foreign_entity_citizenship` \| Non-US citizenship codes reported for entity holders (self-reported, noisy) \|
	\| `individual_holder_rows` \| Count of individual interest-holder rows (names withheld) \|
	\| `latest_report_as_of` \| Latest ownership report as-of date \|
	\| `parent_station_count` \| Live stations under the same ultimate parent \|
	\| `ontology_org_id` \| Tensorust Ontology Organization match for the ultimate parent \|

	## Get the full file

	\| tier \| price \| includes \|
	\|---\|---\|---\|
	\| Market or group file \| $750 \| Every station in up to 5 DMAs or under up to 10 ultimate parents, with ownership chains, 10%+ entity holders and the foreign-citizenship flag. CSV and Excel. \|
	\| National ownership graph \| $3,900 \| All 26,553 stations and the 5,698-parent roll-up, plus one refresh once FCC LMS publishes a current dump. \|
	\| Yearly license with quarterly refresh \| $9,600 a year \| The national graph rebuilt each quarter from new ownership reports, with changes in control and new foreign-citizenship flags marked. Internal use, unlimited seats. \|

	Email mattbusel@tensorust.com with the tier and a billing contact, and we will send a proper invoice (ACH or card). The file is delivered once the invoice is paid. Details and the live sample: [https://tensorust.com/datasets/broadcast-ownership-graph/](https://tensorust.com/datasets/broadcast-ownership-graph/). All datasets: https://tensorust.com/datasets/

	## Method and limits

	Map each current ownership report in the FCC LMS dump to the facilities it names. For each respondent, check whether an entity holds 50% or more of the votes. The ultimate parent is the broadest uncontrolled respondent in the station's chain. Entity holders with 10%+ voting or equity are listed; individual holders are counted, never named. parent_rollup.csv groups stations by ultimate parent with TV, radio and state counts. Ultimate parents are matched to Tensorust Ontology organizations by name (17,743 stations matched).

	Not a list of individual owners (individual interest holders are never named). Not current to the day: the LMS snapshot is Aug 16 2026. Stations that file no ownership report, many LPFM and translators among them, are absent. The roll-up is algorithmic: insulated interests, LMAs, JSAs and sharing agreements are not modeled. Citizenship codes are self-reported and noisy. Not legal advice on attribution or foreign ownership limits.

	## Sources

	- FCC Licensing and Management System (LMS) public database files, Form 323 / 323-E ownership reports and facility tables: https://enterpriseefiling.fcc.gov/dataentry/public/tv/lmsDatabase.html
	- Internet Archive capture of the LMS files, Aug 16 2026 (LMS was in maintenance on Nov 5 2026): https://web.archive.org/
	- Tensorust Ontology organization objects (name match for ultimate parents)

	## License

	The sample and summary here are free to view, analyze and cite with attribution to "Tensorust LLC, https://tensorust.com/datasets/broadcast-ownership-graph/". The full dataset is licensed separately per tier. No resale or redistribution of Tensorust data without a written license.

	Tensorust LLC, Tuckahoe NY. mattbusel@tensorust.com \| https://tensorust.com