Goto Section: 73.14 | 73.23 | Table of Contents
FCC 73.21
Revised as of October 2, 2015
Goto Year:2014 |
2016
§ 73.21 Classes of AM broadcast channels and stations.
(a) Clear channel. A clear channel is one on which stations are assigned to
serve wide areas. These stations are protected from objectionable
interference within their primary service areas and, depending on the class
of station, their secondary service areas. Stations operating on these
channels are classified as follows:
(1) Class A station. A Class A station is an unlimited time station that
operates on a clear channel and is designed to render primary and secondary
service over an extended area and at relatively long distances from its
transmitter. Its primary service area is protected from objectionable
interference from other stations on the same and adjacent channels, and its
secondary service area is protected from interference from other stations on
the same channel. (See § 73.182). The operating power shall not be less than
10 kW nor more than 50 kW. (Also see § 73.25(a)).
(2) Class B station. A Class B station is an unlimited time station which is
designed to render service only over a primary service area. Class B
stations are authorized to operate with a minimum power of 0.25 kW (or, if
less than 0.25 kW, an equivalent RMS antenna field of at least 141 mV/m at 1
km) and a maximum power of 50 kW, or 10 kW for stations that are authorized
to operate in the 1605-1705 kHz band.
(3) Class D station. A Class D station operates either daytime, limited time
or unlimited time with nighttime power less than 0.25 kW and an equivalent
RMS antenna field of less than 141 mV/m at one km. Class D stations shall
operate with daytime powers not less than 0.25 kW nor more than 50 kW.
Nighttime operations of Class D stations are not afforded protection and
must protect all Class A and Class B operations during nighttime hours. New
Class D stations that had not been previously licensed as Class B will not
be authorized.
(b) Regional Channel. A regional channel is one on which Class B and Class D
stations may operate and serve primarily a principal center of population
and the rural area contiguous thereto.
Note: Until the North American Regional Broadcasting Agreement (NARBA) is
terminated with respect to the Bahama Islands and the Dominican Republic,
radiation toward those countries from a Class B station may not exceed the
level that would be produced by an omnidirectional antenna with a
transmitted power of 5 kW, or such lower level as will comply with NARBA
requirements for protection of stations in the Bahama Islands and the
Dominican Republic against objectionable interference.
(c) Local channel. A local channel is one on which stations operate
unlimited time and serve primarily a community and the suburban and rural
areas immediately contiguous thereto.
(1) Class C station. A Class C station is a station operating on a local
channel and is designed to render service only over a primary service area
that may be reduced as a consequence of interference in accordance with
§ 73.182. The power shall not be less than 0.25 kW, nor more than 1 kW. Class
C stations that are licensed to operate with 0.1 kW may continue to do so.
[ 56 FR 64856 , Dec. 12, 1991]
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Goto Section: 73.14 | 73.23
Goto Year: 2014 |
2016
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