§ 74.832 - Licensing requirements and procedures.

§ 74.832 Licensing requirements and procedures.

(a) A license authorizing operation of one or more low power auxiliary stations will be issued only to the following:

(1) A licensee of an AM, FM, TV, or International broadcast station or low power TV station. Low power auxiliary stations will be licensed for used with a specific broadcast or low power TV station or combination of stations licensed to the same licensee within the same community.

(2) A broadcast network entity.

(3) A cable television system operator who operates a cable system that produces program material for origination or access cablecasting, as defined in § 76.5(r).

(4) Motion picture producers as defined in § 74.801.

(5) Television program producers as defined in § 74.801.

(6) Licensees and conditional licensees of stations in the Broadband Radio Service as defined in section 27.1200 of this chapter, or entities that hold an executed lease agreement with a Broadband Radio Service or Educational Broadband Service licensee.

(7) Large venue owners or operators as defined in § 74.801.

(8) Professional sound companies as defined in § 74.801.

(b) An application for a new or renewal of low power auxiliary license shall specify the frequency band or bands desired. Only those frequency bands necessary for satisfactory operation shall be requested.

(c) Licensees of AM, FM, TV, and International broadcast stations; low power TV stations; and broadcast network entities may be authorized to operate low power auxiliary stations in the frequency bands set forth in § 74.802(a).

(d) Cable television operations, motion picture and television program producers, large venue owners or operators, and professional sound companies may be authorized to operate low power auxiliary stations in the bands allocated for TV broadcasting, the 653-657 MHz band, the 941.5-944 MHz band, the 944-952 MHz band, the 952.850-956.250 MHz band, the 956.45-959.85 MHz band, the 1435-1525 MHz band, the 6875-6900 MHz band, and the 7100-7125 MHz band. In the 6875-6900 MHz and 7100-7125 MHz bands, entities eligible to hold licenses for cable television relay service stations (see § 78.13 of this chapter) shall also be eligible to hold licenses for low power auxiliary stations.

(e) An application for low power auxiliary stations or for a change in an existing authorization shall specify the broadcast station, or the network with which the low power broadcast auxiliary facilities are to be principally used as given in paragraph (h) of this section; or it shall specify the motion picture or television production company, the cable television operator, the professional sound company, or, if applicable, the venue with which the low power broadcast auxiliary facilities are to be solely used. A single application, filed on FCC Form 601 may be used in applying for the authority to operate one or more low power auxiliary units. The application must specify the frequency bands which will be used. Motion picture producers, television program producers, cable television operators, large venue owners or operators, and professional sound companies are required to attach a single sheet to their application form explaining in detail the manner in which the eligibility requirements given in paragraph (a) of this section are met. In addition, large venue owners or operators and professional sound companies shall include on the attachment the following certification and shall sign and date the certification: “The applicant hereby certifies that it routinely uses 50 or more low power auxiliary station devices, where the use of such devices is an integral part of major events or productions.”

(f) Applications for the use of the bands allocated for TV broadcasting must specify the usual area of operation within which the low power auxiliary station will be used. This area of operation may, for example, be specified as the metropolitan area in which the broadcast licensee serves, the usual area within which motion picture and television producers are operating, or the location of the venue. Licenses issued to large venue owners or operators are specific to a single venue and authorize operation only at that venue. Because low power auxiliary stations operating in these bands will only be permitted in areas removed from existing co-channel TV broadcast stations, licensees have full responsibility to ensure that operation of their stations does not occur at distances less than those specified in § 74.802(b).

(g) Low power auxiliary licensees shall specify the maximum number of units that will be operated.

(h) For broadcast licensees, low power auxiliary stations will be licensed for use with a specific broadcast station or combination of broadcast stations licensed to the same licensee and to the same community. Licensing of low power auxiliary stations for use with a specific broadcast station or combination of such stations does not preclude their use with other broadcast stations of the same or a different licensee at any location. Operation of low power auxiliary stations outside the area of operation specified in the authorization, or in other bands is permitted without further authority of the Commission. However, operation of low power auxiliary stations shall, at all times, be in accordance with the requirements of § 74.882 of this subpart. Also, a low power auxiliary station that is being used with a broadcast station or network other than one with which it is licensed, must, in addition to meeting the requirements of § 74.861 of this subpart, not cause harmful interference to another low power auxiliary station which is being used with the broadcast station(s) or network with which it is licensed.

(i) In case of permanent discontinuance of operations of a station licensed under this subpart, the licensee shall cancel the station license using FCC Form 601. For purposes of this section, a station which is not operated for a period of one year is considered to have been permanently discontinued.

(j) The license shall be retained in the licensee's files at the address shown on the authorization, posted at the transmitter, or posted at the control point of the station.

[42 FR 14729, Mar. 16, 1977, as amended at 47 FR 9221, Mar. 4, 1982; 47 FR 21503, May 18, 1982; 47 FR 55938, Dec. 14, 1982; 51 FR 4603, Feb. 6, 1986; 51 FR 9966, Mar. 24, 1986; 52 FR 2535, Jan. 23, 1987; 55 FR 46012, Oct. 31, 1990; 58 FR 19776, Apr. 16, 1993; 68 FR 12772, Mar. 17, 2003; 69 FR 72045, Dec. 10, 2004; 79 FR 40689, July 14, 2014; 80 FR 71729, Nov. 17, 2015; 82 FR 41560, Sept. 1, 2017; 84 FR 2759, Feb. 8, 2019]