§ 74.15 - Station license period.

§ 74.15 Station license period.

(a) [Reserved]

(b) Licenses for stations or systems in the Auxiliary Broadcast Service held by a licensee of a broadcast station will be issued for a period running concurrently with the license of the associated broadcast station with which it is licensed. Licenses held by eligible networks for the purpose of providing program service to affiliated stations under subpart D of this part, and by eligible networks, cable television operators, motion picture producers and television program producers under subpart H of this part will be issued for a period running concurrently with the normal licensing period for broadcast stations located in the same area of operation. Licenses held by large venue owners or operators and professional sound companies under subpart H of this part will be issued for a period not to exceed ten years from the date of initial issuance or renewal.

(c) The license of an FM broadcast booster station or a TV broadcast booster station will be issued for a period running concurrently with the license of the FM radio broadcast station or TV broadcast station (primary station) with which it is used.

(d) Initial licenses for low power TV, TV translator, and FM translator stations will ordinarily be issued for a period running until the date specified in § 73.1020 of this chapter for full service stations operating in their State or Territory, or if issued after such date, to the next renewal date determined in accordance with § 73.1020 of this chapter. Lower power TV and TV translator station and FM translator station licenses will ordinarily be renewed for 8 years. However, if the FCC finds that the public interest, convenience or necessity will be served, it may issue either an initial license or a renewal thereof for a lesser term. The FCC may also issue a license renewal for a shorter term if requested by the applicant. The time of expiration of all licenses will be 3 a.m. local time, on the following dates, and thereafter to the schedule for full service stations in their states as reflected in § 73.1020 of this chapter:

(1) Nevada:

(i) FM translators, February 1, 1997.

(ii) LPTV and TV translator, February 1, 1998.

(2) California:

(i) FM translators, April 1, 1997.

(ii) LPTV and TV translators, April 1, 1998

(3) Maine, Vermont, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Connecticut, Rhodes Island, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Delaware, West Virginia, Ohio and the District of Colbumia:

(i) FM translators, June 1, 1997

(ii) LPTV and TV translators, June 1, 1998

(4) Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Florida, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, Arkansas, Missouri, Kentucky, Tennessee, Indiana, Illinois, Michigan, Wisconsin, Pureto Rico and the Virgin Islands:

(i) FM translators, August 1, 1997

(ii) LPTV and TV translators, August 1, 1998

(5) Oklahoma and Texas:

(i) FM translators, October 1, 1997

(ii) LPTV and TV translators, October 1, 1998

(6) Kansas and Nebraska:

(i) FM translators, December 1, 1997

(ii) LPTV and TV translators, December 1, 1998

(7) Iowa and South Dakota:

(i) FM translators, February 1, 1998

(ii) LPTV and TV translators, February 1, 1999

(8) Minnesota and North Dakota:

(i) FM translators, April 1, 1998

(ii) LPTV and TV translators, April 1, 1999

(9) Wyoming:

(i) FM translators, June 1, 1998

(ii) LPTV and TV translators, June 1, 1999

(10) Montana:

(i) FM translators, August 1, 1998

(ii) LPTV and TV translators, August 1, 1999

(11) Idaho:

(i) FM translators, October 1, 1995

(ii) LPTV and TV translators, October 1, 1996

(12) Washington:

(i) FM translators, December 1, 1995

(ii) LPTV and TV translators, December 1, 1996

(13) Oregon:

(i) FM translators, February 1, 1996

(ii) LPTV and TV translators, February 1, 1997

(14) Alaska, American Samoa, Guam, Mariana Islands and Hawaii:

(i) FM translators, April 1, 1996

(ii) LPTV and TV translators, April 1, 1997

(15) Colorado:

(i) FM translators, June 1, 1996

(ii) LPTV and TV translators, June 1, 1997

(16) New Mexico:

(i) FM translators, August 1, 1996

(ii) LPTV and TV translators, August 1, 1997

(17) Utah:

(i) FM translators, October 1, 1996

(ii) LPTV and TV translators, October 1, 1997

(18) Arizona:

(i) FM translators, December 1, 1996

(ii) LPTV and TV translators, December 1, 1997

(e) Licenses held by broadcast network-entities under Subpart F will ordinarily be issued for a period of 8 years running concurrently with the normal licensing period for broadcast stations located in the same area of operation. An application for renewal of license shall be filed in accordance with the provisions of § 1.949.

(f) The license of an FM translator or FM broadcast booster, TV translator or TV broadcast booster, or low power TV station will expire as a matter of law upon failure to transmit broadcast signals for any consecutive 12-month period notwithstanding any provision, term, or condition of the license to the contrary. Further, if the license of any AM, FM, or TV broadcasting station licensed under part 73 of this chapter expires for failure to transmit signals for any consecutive 12-month period, the licensee's authorizations under part 74, subparts D, E, F, and H in connection with the operation of that AM, FM, or TV broadcasting station will also expire notwithstanding any provision, term, or condition to the contrary.

(Secs. 4, 5, 303, 48 Stat., as amended, 1066, 1068, 1082 (47 U.S.C. 154, 155, 303))

[28 FR 13706, Dec. 14, 1963, as amended at 49 FR 32583, Aug. 15, 1984; 50 FR 26758, June 28, 1985; 52 FR 7142, Mar. 9, 1987; 52 FR 25604, July 8, 1987; 52 FR 31402, Aug. 20, 1987; 59 FR 63052, Dec. 7, 1994; 61 FR 28767, June 6, 1996; 62 FR 5347, Feb. 5, 1997; 68 FR 12761, Mar. 17, 2003; 69 FR 72045, Dec. 10, 2004; 78 FR 25174, Apr. 29, 2013; 79 FR 40688, July 14, 2014]