It was not a hole in one for a local radio station in Indiana. According to Kathryne Dickerson and Eve Reed of Wiley Rein, the station’s “Par 3 Shoot Out” contest came under scrutiny by the Federal Communications Commission for not being conducted “substantially as announced”—which serves as a not-so-gentle reminder of why it’s imperative to stick with the rules.
Not only do the rules of the commission require contest operators to conduct contests “substantially as announced,” they must also disclose the “material terms” of the contests, such as eligibility restrictions, how winners will be selected, and the value of the prizes, explain the authors. The station was running a two-part, golf-themed contest. Phase one was an online contest and phase two was an in-person, hole-in-one contest, with the top prize of a Lexus.
