§ 74.24   Short-term operation.

   All classes of broadcast auxiliary stations provided for in subparts D,
   E, F and H of this part, except wireless video assist devices, may be
   operated on a short-term basis under the authority conveyed by a part
   73 license or a broadcast auxiliary license without prior authorization
   from the FCC, subject to the following conditions:

   (a) Licensees operating under this provision must be eligible to
   operate the particular class of broadcast auxiliary station.

   (b) The short-term broadcast auxiliary station shall be operated in
   conformance with all normally applicable regulations to the extent they
   are not superceded by specific provisions of this section.

   (c) Short-term operation is on a secondary, non-interference basis to
   regularly authorized stations and shall be discontinued immediately
   upon notification that perceptible interference is being caused to the
   operation of a regularly authorized station. Short-term station
   operators shall, to the extent practicable, use only the effective
   radiated power and antenna height necessary for satisfactory system
   performance.

   (d) Short-term operation under this section shall not exceed 720 hours
   annually per frequency.

   Note to paragraph (d): Certain frequencies shared with other services
   which are normally available for permanent broadcast auxiliary station
   assignment may not be available for short-term operation. Refer to any
   note(s) which may be applicable to the use of a specific frequency
   prior to initiating operation.

   (e) The antenna height of a station operated pursuant to this section
   shall not increase the height of any man-made antenna supporting
   structure, or increase by more than 6.1 meters (20 feet) the height of
   any other type of man-made structure or natural formation. However, the
   facilities of an authorized broadcast auxiliary station belonging to
   another licensee may be operated in accordance with the terms of its
   outstanding authorization.

   (f) Stations operated pursuant to this section shall be identified by
   the transmission of the call sign of the associated part 73 broadcast
   station or broadcast auxiliary station, or, in the case of stations
   operated by broadcast network and cable network entities, by the
   network or cable entity's name and base of operations city.

   (g) Prior to operating pursuant to the provisions of this section,
   licensees shall, for the intended location or area-of-operation, notify
   the appropriate frequency coordination committee or any licensee(s)
   assigned the use of the proposed operating frequency, concerning the
   particulars of the intended operation and shall provide the name and
   telephone number of a person who may be contacted in the event of
   interference. Except as provided herein, this notification provision
   shall not apply where an unanticipated need for immediate short-term
   mobile station operation would render compliance with the provisions of
   this paragraph impractical.

   (1) A CARS licensee shall always be given advance notification prior to
   the commencement of short-term operation on or adjacent to an assigned
   frequency.

   (2) The Commission may designate a frequency coordinator as the single
   point of contact under this section for advance coordination of major
   national and international events. Once designated, all short-term
   auxiliary broadcast use under this section must be coordinated in
   advance through the designated coordinator.

   (i) Coordinators under this provision will not be designated unless the
   Commission receives an initial request, in writing, to designate a
   coordinator.

   (ii) The Commission will issue a Public Notice with information
   regarding the designation of such a coordinator.

   (iii) All coordination must be done on a non-discriminatory basis.

   (iv) All licensees must abide by the decision of the coordinator. The
   Commission will be the final arbiter of any disputes.

   (3) An unanticipated need will never be deemed to exist for a scheduled
   event, such as a convention, sporting event, etc.

   (h) Short-term operation is limited to areas south or west of the
   United States-Canada border as follows:

   (1) Use of broadcast auxiliary service frequencies below 470 MHz is
   limited to areas of the United States south of Line A or west of Line C
   unless the effective radiated power of the station is 5 watts or less.
   See § 1.928(e) of this chapter for a definition of Line A and Line C.

   (2) A broadcast auxiliary service station operating on frequencies
   between 470 MHz and 1 GHz must be at least 56.3 kilometers (35 miles)
   south (or west, as appropriate of the United States-Canada border if
   the antenna looks within a 200° sector toward the border; or, the
   station must be at least 8.1 kilometers (5 miles) south (or west, as
   appropriate) if the antenna looks within a 160° sector away from the
   border. However, operation is not permitted in either of these two
   situations if the station would be within the coordination distance of
   a receiving earth station in Canada which uses the same frequency band.
   (The coordination distance is the distance, calculated for any station,
   according to Appendix 28 of the International Radio Regulations.)

   (3) A broadcast auxiliary service station operating on frequencies
   above 1 GHz shall not be located within the coordination distance of a
   receiving earth station in Canada which uses the same frequency band.
   (The coordination distance is the distance, calculated for any station,
   according to Appendix 28 of the international Radio Regulations.)

   (i) Short-term operation of a remote pickup broadcast base station, a
   remote pickup automatic relay station, an aural broadcast STL station,
   an aural broadcast intercity relay station, a TV STL station, a TV
   intercity relay station or a TV translator relay station in the
   National Radio Quiet Zone, the Table Mountain Radio Receiving Zone, or
   near FCC monitoring stations is subject to the same advance
   notification procedures applicable to regular applications as provided
   for in § 73.1030 of this chapter and § 74.12, except that inasmuch as
   short-term operation does not involve an application process, the
   provisions relating to agency objection procedures shall not apply. It
   shall simply be necessary for the licensee to contact the potentially
   affected agency and obtain advance approval for the proposed short-term
   operation. Where protection to FCC monitoring stations is concerned,
   approval for short-term operation may be given by the Regional Director
   of a Commission field facility.

   (j)(1) This paragraph applies only to operations which will transmit on
   frequencies under 15 GHz. Prior to commencing short-term operation of a
   remote pickup broadcast station, a remote pickup automatic relay
   station, an aural broadcast STL station, an aural broadcast intercity
   relay station, a TV STL station, a TV intercity relay station, a TV
   translator relay station, a TV pickup station, or a TV microwave
   booster station within the 4-mile (6.4 kilometer) radius Commonwealth
   of Puerto Rico Protection Zone (centered on NAD-83 Geographical
   Coordinates North Latitude 18°20′38.28″, West Longitude 66°45′09.42″),
   an applicant must notify the Arecibo Observatory, located near Arecibo,
   Puerto Rico. Operations within the Puerto Rico Coordination Zone (i.e.,
   on the islands of Puerto Rico, Desecheo, Mona, Vieques, or Culebra),
   but outside the Protection Zone, whether short term or long term, shall
   provide notification to the Arecibo Observatory prior to commencing
   operation. Notification should be directed to the following:
   Interference Office, Arecibo Observatory, HC3 Box 53995, Arecibo,
   Puerto Rico 00612, Tel. (809) 878-2612, Fax (809) 878-1861, E-mail
   prcz@naic.edu.

   (2) Notification of short-term operations may be provided by telephone,
   fax, or electronic mail. The notification for long-term operations
   shall be written or electronic, and shall set forth the technical
   parameters of the proposed station, including the geographical
   coordinates of the antenna (NAD-83 datum), antenna height above ground,
   ground elevation at the antenna, antenna directivity and gain, proposed
   frequency and FCC Rule Part, type of emission, effective radiated
   power, and whether the proposed use is itinerant. Applicants may wish
   to consult interference guidelines, which will be provided by Cornell
   University. In addition, the applicant shall indicate in its
   application to the Commission the date notification was made to the
   Observatory. Generally, submission of the information in the technical
   portion of the FCC license application is adequate notification. After
   receipt of such applications in non-emergency situations, the
   Commission will allow the Arecibo Observatory a period of 20 days for
   comments or objections in response to the notification indicated. The
   applicant will be required to make reasonable efforts in order to
   resolve or mitigate any potential interference problem with the Arecibo
   Observatory and to file either an amendment to the application or a
   modification application, as appropriate. If the Commission determines
   that an applicant has satisfied its responsibility to make reasonable
   efforts to protect the Observatory from interference, its application
   may be granted. In emergency situations in which prior notification or
   approval is not practicable, notification or approval must be
   accomplished as soon as possible after operations begin.

   (Secs. 4, 303, 48 Stat., as amended, 1066, 1032; 47 U.S.C. 158, 303)

   [ 47 FR 9219 , Mar. 4, 1982, as amended at  49 FR 34356 , Aug. 30, 1984;  50 FR 23709 , June 5, 1985;  62 FR 55532 , Oct. 27, 1997;  68 FR 12762 , Mar.
   17, 2003;  70 FR 31373 , June 1, 2005;  80 FR 53751 , Sept. 8, 2015]

   return arrow Back to Top