Sec. 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

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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) A broadcast licensee eligible for ``short-term operation'' under 
Sec. 74.24, may operate RPU base or mobile stations under the 
authorization of the Part 73 license for an indefinite period upon 
filing an application for auxiliary operation with the Commission and 
subject to the conditions of Sec. 74.24 (a), (b), (e), (f), (h), (i), 
and to the conditions set forth below:
    (1) The auxiliary station is located within 50 miles (80 km) of the 
broadcast studio or broadcast transmitter.
    (2) The applicant must coordinate the operation with all affected 
co-channel and adjacent channel licensees in the area of operation. This 
requirement can be satisfied by coordination with the local frequency 
committee if one exists.
    (3) Such operation shall be suspended immediately upon notification 
from the Commission or by the Engineer in Charge (EIC) of the 
Commission's local field office, and shall not be resumed until specific 
authority is given by the Commission or EIC. When authorized by the EIC, 
short test operations may be made.
    (4) Operation under this provision is not permitted between 152.87 
MHz and 153.35 MHz.
    (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 Broadcast System and similar emergency 
survival communications systems. Drills and tests are also permitted on 
these stations, but the priority requirements of Sec. 74.403(b) must be 
observed in such cases.

[ 51 FR 4602 , Feb. 6, 1986]