§  74.431   Special rules applicable to remote pickup stations.

   (a) Remote pickup mobile stations may be used for the transmission of
   material from the scene of events which occur outside the studio back
   to studio or production center. The transmitted material shall be
   intended for the licensee's own use and may be made available for use
   by any other broadcast station or cable system.

   (b) Remote pickup mobile or base stations may be used for
   communications related to production and technical support of the
   remote program. This includes cues, orders, dispatch instructions,
   frequency coordination, establishing microwave links, and operational
   communications. Operational communications are alerting tones and
   special signals of short duration used for telemetry or control.

   (c) Remote pickup mobile or base stations may communicate with any
   other station licensed under this subpart.

   (d) Remote pickup mobile stations may be operated as a vehicular
   repeater to relay program material and communications between stations
   licensed under this subpart. Precautions shall be taken to avoid
   interference to other stations and the vehicular repeater shall only be
   activated by hand-carried or pack-carried units.

   (e) The output of hand-carried or pack-carried transmitter units used
   with a vehicular repeater is limited to 2.5 watts. The output of a
   vehicular repeater transmitter used as a talkback unit on an additional
   frequency is limited to 2.5 watts.

   (f) Remote pickup base and mobile stations in Alaska, Guam, Hawaii,
   Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands may be used for any purpose related
   to the programming or technical operation of a broadcasting station,
   except for transmission intended for direct reception by the general
   public.

   (g) [Reserved]

   (h) In the event that normal aural studio to transmitter circuits are
   damaged, stations licensed under Subpart D may be used to provide
   temporary circuits for a period not exceeding 30 days without further
   authority from the Commission necessary to continue broadcasting.

   (i) Remote pickup mobile or base stations may be used for activities
   associated with the Emergency Alert System (EAS) and similar emergency
   survival communications systems. Drills and test are also permitted on
   these stations, but the priority requirements of § 74.403(b) must be
   observed in such cases.

   [ 51 FR 4602 , Feb. 6, 1986, as amended at  68 FR 12764 , Mar. 17, 2003]