Goto Section: 74.710 | 74.732 | Table of Contents
FCC 74.731
Revised as of October 1, 2007
Goto Year:2006 |
2008
Sec. 74.731 Purpose and permissible service.
(a) Television broadcast translator stations and television broadcast
booster stations provide a means whereby the signals of television broadcast
stations may be retransmitted to areas in which direct reception of such
television broadcast stations is unsatisfactory due to distance or
intervening terrain barriers.
(b) Except as provided in paragraph (f) of this section, a television
broadcast translator station or television broadcast booster station may be
used only to receive the signals of a television broadcast station, another
television broadcast translator station, a television translator relay
station, a television intercity relay station, a television STL station, or
other suitable source such as a CARS or common carrier microwave station,
for the simultaneous retransmission of the programs and signals of a
television broadcast station. Such retransmissions may be accomplished by
either:
(1) Reception of the television programs and signals of a television
broadcast station directly through space, conversion to a different channel
by simple heterodyne frequency conversion and suitable amplification; or,
(2) Modulation and amplification of a video and audio feed, in which case
modulating equipment meeting the requirements of Sec. 74.750(d) shall be used.
(c) The transmissions of each television broadcast translator station shall
be intended for direct reception by the general public and any other use
shall be incidental thereto. A television broadcast translator station shall
not be operated solely for the purpose of relaying signals to one or more
fixed receiving points for retransmission, distribution, or further
relaying.
(d) The technical characteristics of the retransmitted signals shall not be
deliberately altered so as to hinder reception on conventional television
broadcast receivers.
(e) A television broadcast translator station shall not deliberately
retransmit the signals of any station other than the station it is
authorized by license to retransmit. Precautions shall be taken to avoid
unintentional retransmission of such other signals.
(f) A locally generated radio frequency signal similar to that of a TV
broadcast station and modulated with visual and aural information may be
connected to the input terminals of a television broadcast translator or low
power station for the purposes of transmitting still photographs, slides and
voice announcements. The radio frequency signals shall be on the same
channel as the normally used off-the-air signal being rebroadcast. When
transmitting originations concerning financial support or public service
announcements, connection of the locally generated signals shall be made
automatically either by means of a time switch or upon receipt of a control
signal from the TV station being rebroadcast designed to actuate the
switching circuit. The switching circuit will be so designed that the input
circuit will be returned to the off-the-air signal within 30 seconds. The
connection for emergency transmissions may be made manually. The apparatus
used to generate the local signal which is used to modulate the translator
or low power station must be capable of producing a visual or aural signal
or both which will provide acceptable reception on television receivers
designed for the transmission standards employed by TV broadcast stations.
The visual and aural materials so transmitted shall be limited to emergency
warnings of imminent danger, to local public service announcements and to
seeking or acknowledging financial support deemed necessary to the continued
operation of the station. Accordingly, the originations concerning financial
support and PSAs are limited to 30 seconds each, no more than once per hour.
Acknowledgements of financial support may include identification of the
contributors, the size and nature of the contribution and advertising
messages of contributors. Emergency transmissions shall be no longer or more
frequent than necessary to protect life and property.
(g) Low power TV stations may operate under the following modes of service:
(1) As a TV translator station, subject to the requirements of this part;
(2) For origination of programming and commercial matter as defined in
Sec. 74.701(f);
(3) For the transmission of subscription television broadcast (STV)
programs, intended to be received in intelligible form by members of the
public for a fee or charge subject to the provisions of Sec. Sec. 73.642(e) and
73.644.
(h) A low power TV station may not be operated solely for the purpose of
relaying signals to one or more fixed receiving points for retransmission,
distribution or relaying.
(i) Low power TV stations are subject to no minimum required hours of
operation and may operate in any of the 3 modes described in paragraph (g)
of this section for any number of hours.
(j) Television broadcast booster stations provide a means whereby the
licensee of a television broadcast station may provide service to areas of
low signal strength in any region within the primary station's Grade B
contour. The booster station may not be located outside the predicted Grade
B of its primary station nor may the predicted Grade B signal of the
television booster station extend beyond the predicted Grade B contour of
the primary station. A television broadcast booster station is authorized to
retransmit only the signals of its primary station; it shall not retransmit
the signals of any other stations nor make independent transmissions.
However, locally generated signals may be used to excite the booster
apparatus for the purpose of conducting tests and measurements essential to
the proper installation and maintenance of the apparatus.
(k) The transmissions of a television broadcast booster station shall be
intended for direct reception by the general public. Such stations will not
be permitted to establish a point-to-point television relay system.
[ 28 FR 13722 , Dec. 14, 1963, as amended at 43 FR 1951 , Jan. 13, 1978; 47 FR 21499 , May 18, 1982; 47 FR 40172 , Sept. 13, 1982; 48 FR 21487 , May 12, 1983;
52 FR 31404 , Aug. 20, 1987]
Goto Section: 74.710 | 74.732
Goto Year: 2006 |
2008
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