§ 74.1203 - Interference.

§ 74.1203 Interference.

Cross Reference

Link to an amendment published at 89 FR 26793, Apr. 16, 2024.

(a) An authorized FM translator or booster station will not be permitted to continue to operate if it causes any actual interference to:

(1) The transmission of any authorized broadcast station; or

(2) The reception of the input signal of any TV translator, TV booster, FM translator or FM booster station; or

(3) The direct reception by the public of the off-the-air signals of any full-service station or previously authorized secondary station. Interference will be considered to occur whenever reception of a regularly used signal is impaired by the signals radiated by the FM translator or booster station, regardless of the channel on which the protected signal is transmitted; except that no listener complaint will be considered actionable if the alleged interference occurs outside the desired station's 45 dBu contour. Interference is demonstrated by:

(i) The required minimum number of valid listener complaints as determined using Table 1 of this section and defined in § 74.1201(k) of this part;

(ii) A map plotting the specific location of the alleged interference in relation to the complaining station's 45 dBu contour;

(iii) A statement that the complaining station is operating within its licensed parameters;

(iv) A statement that the complaining station licensee has used commercially reasonable efforts to inform the relevant translator licensee of the claimed interference and attempted private resolution; and

(v) U/D data demonstrating that at each listener location the undesired to desired signal strength exceeds −20 dB for co-channel situations, −6 dB for first-adjacent channel situations or 40 dB for second- or third-adjacent channel situations, calculated using the methodology set out in § 74.1204(b).

Table 1 to § 74.1203(a)(3)

Population within protected contour	Minimum listener complaints required for interference claim
1-199,999	6
200,000-299,999	7
300,000-399,999	8
400,000-499,999	9
500,000-999,999	10
1,000,000-1,499,999	15
1,500,000-1,999,999	20
2,000,000 or more	25
LPFM stations with fewer than 5,000	3

(b) If interference cannot be properly eliminated by the application of suitable techniques, operation of the offending FM translator or booster station shall be suspended and shall not be resumed until the interference has been eliminated. Short test transmissions may be made during the period of suspended operation to check the efficacy of remedial measures.

(c) An FM broadcast booster station will be exempted from the provisions of paragraphs (a) and (b) of this section to the extent that it may cause limited interference to its primary station's signal, provided it does not disrupt the existing service of its primary station or cause such interference within the boundaries of the principal community of its primary station. A program originating FM booster station will be exempted from the provisions of paragraphs (a) and (b) to the extent that it may cause limited interference to its primary station's signal. A properly synchronized program originating FM booster station transmitting programming different than that broadcast by the primary station, subject to the limits set forth in § 74.1201(f)(2), is not considered to cause interference to its primary station solely because such originated programming differs from that transmitted by the primary station.

(d) A fill-in FM translator operating on the first, second or third adjacent channel to its primary station's channel will be exempt from the provisions of paragraphs (a) and (b) of this section to the extent that it may cause limited interference to its primary station's signal, provided it does not disrupt the existing service of its primary station or cause such interference within the boundaries of the principal community of its primary station.

(e) It shall be the responsibility of the licensee of an FM translator or FM booster station to correct any condition of interference which results from the radiation of radio frequency energy by its equipment on any frequency outside the assigned channel. Upon notice by the Commission to the station licensee that such interference is being caused, the operation of the FM translator or FM booster station shall be suspended within three minutes and shall not be resumed until the interference has been eliminated or it can be demonstrated that the interference is not due to spurious emissions by the FM translator or FM booster station; provided, however, that short test transmissions may be made during the period of suspended operation to check the efficacy of remedial measures.

[55 FR 50693, Dec. 10, 1990, as amended at 60 FR 55484, Nov. 1, 1995; 84 FR 27740, June 14, 2019; 86 FR 13663, Mar. 10, 2021; 89 FR 26793, Apr. 16, 2024]