12-03-97 PC(Code of Federal Regulations)
(Title 47, Volume 4, Parts 70 to 791
(Revised as of October 1, 1996]
From the U.S. Government Printing Office via GPO Access
[CITE: 47CFR73]
(Page 76-144]
TITLE 47 --TELECOMMUNICATION
CHAPTER I --FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION (Continued)
PART 73 --RADIO BROADCAST SERVICES --Table of Contents
Subpart B --FM Broadcast Stations
Sec. 73.201 Numerical designation of FM broadcast channels.
The FM broadcast band consists of that portion of the radio
frequency spectrum between 88 MHz and 106 MHz. rt is divided into 100
channels of 200 kHz each. For convenience, the frequencies available for
FM broadcasting (including those assigned to noncommercial educational
broadcasting) are given numerical designations which are shown in the
table below:
------------------------------------------------------------------------
'
Channel
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Frequency (Mc/sl
No.
88.1
........................................................
201
88.3
........................................................
202
88.5
........................................................
203
88.7
........................................................
204
88.9
........................................................
205
89.1
........................................................
206
89.3
........................................................
207
89.5
........................................................
208
89.7
........................................................
209
89.9
........................................................
210
90.1
........................................................
211
90.3
........................................................
212
90.5
........................................................
213
aO.7
........................................................
214
90.9
........................................................
215
91.1
........................................................
216
91.3
........................................................
217
91.5
........................................................
218
91.7
........................................................
219
91.9
........................................................
220
92.1
........................................................
221
92.3
........................................................
222
92.5
........................................................
223
92.7
........................................................
224
92.9
........................................................
225
93.1
........................................................
226
93.3
........................................................
227
93.5
........................................................
228
93.7
........................................................
229
93.9
........................................................
230
94.1
........................................................
231
-nc fQ 73
(iv) If this distance is greater than 72 km and less than or equal
to 92 km, the station is Class C.
(4) For a station in Puerto Rico or the Virgin Islands:
(i) If this distance is less than or equal to 42 km, the station is
Class A.
(ii) If this distance is greater than 42 km and less than or equal
to 46 km, the station is Class B1.
(iii) If this distance is greater then 46 km and less than or equal
to 78 km, the station is Class B.
[52 FR 37788, Oct. 9, 1987; 52 FR 39920, Oct. 26, 1987, as amended at 54
FR 16367, Apr. 24, 1989; 54 FR 19374, May 5, 1989; 54 FR 35339, Aug. 25,
1989]
Sec. 73.211 Power and antenna height requirements.
(a) Minimum requirements. (1) Except as provided in paragraphs
(a)(3} and (b)(2) of this section-, FM stations must operate with a
minimum effective radiated power (ERP) as follows:
(i) The minimum ERP for Class A stations is 0.1 kW.
(ii) The ERP for Class B1 stations must exceed 6 kW.
(iii) The ERP fo-r Class B- stations must exceed 25- kW.
-10 (iv) The ERP for Class C3 stations must exceed 6 kW.
(v) The ERP for Class C2 stations must exceed 25 kW.
(vi) The ERP for Class Cl stations must exceed 50 kW.
(vii) The- minimum ERP- for Class C stations is- 100- kW.
(2) Class C stations must have an antenna height above average
terrain (HAAT) of at least 3QQ meters (964 feet). No minimum HAAT is
specified for Classes A, B1, B, C3, C2, or C1 stations.
(3) Stations of any class except Class A may, have as ERP -less- than
that specified in paragraph (a)(1) of this section, provided that the
reference distance, determined in accordance with paragraph (b)(1)(i)• of
this section, exceeds the distance to the class contour for the next
lower class. Class A stations- may have an ERP less than I&& watts
provided that the reference distance, determined in accordance with
paragraph (b -)(1)(i) of this section-, equals or exceeds 6 kilometers.
(b) Maximum limits. (1) Except for stations located in Puerto Rico
or the Virgin Islands, the maximum ERP in any direction, reference HAAT,
and distance to the class contour for each FM station class are listed
below: L
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Class
Reference
contour
Station class
Maximum ERP
HAAT in
distance
meters
in
(ft.)
kilometers
------------------------------------------------------------------------
A..................
6kW (7.8 dBk).............
100 (328)
28
B1 .................
25kW
(14.0 dBk)...........
100 (328)
39
B ..................
50kW
(17.0 dBk)...........
150 (492)
52
-� C3 .................
25kW
(14.0 dBk)...........
100 (328)
39
--� C2 .................
50kW
(17.0 dBk)...........
150 (492)
52
C1 .................
100kW
(20.0 dBk)..........
299 (981)
72
C ..................
------------------------------------------------------------------------
100kW
(20.0 dBk)..........
600 (1968)
92
(i) The reference distance of a station is obtained by finding the
predicted distance to the 1mV/m contour using
((Page 118]]
Figure 1 of Sec. 73.333 and then rounding to the nearest kilometer.
Antenna HAAT is determined using the procedure in Sec. 73.313. If the
HAAT so determined is less than 30 meters (100 feet), a HAAT of 30
meters must be used when finding the predicted distance to the 1 mV/m
contour.
(ii) If a station's ERP is equal to the maximum for its class, its
antenna HAAT must not exceed the reference HAAT, regardless of the
reference distance. For example, a Class A station operating with G kW
ERP may have an antenna HAAT of 100 meters, but not 101 meters, even
though the reference distance is 28 km in both cases.
(iii) Except as provided in paragraph (b)(3) of this section, no
station will be authorized in Zone I or I -A with an ERP equal to 50 kW
and a HAAT exceeding 150 meters. No station will be authorized in Zone
II with an ERP equal to IOG W and a HAAT exceeding 6GG meters_
(2) If a station has an antenna HAAT greater than the reference HAAT
for its class, its ERP must be lower than the class maximum such that
the reference distance does not exceed the class contour distance. If
the antenna HAAT is so great that the station's ERP -must be -love -r than
the minimum ERP for its class (specified in paragraphs (a)(1) and (a)(3)
of this section), that lower ERF will become the minimum for that
station.
(3) For stations located in Puerto Rico or the Virgin Islands-, the
maximum ERP in any direction, reference HAAT, and distance to the class
contour for each FM station class are listed below:
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Class
Reference contour
Station class Maximum ERP HAAT in distance
meters in
(±t-) kilometers
------------------------------------------------------------------------
A.................. 6kW (7.8 dBk)............. 240 (787) 42
B1 ................. 25kW (14.0 dBk)........... 150 (492) 46
B ... .._............ 5QkW (17.0 dBk)........... 4.72 (1549) 78
------------------------------------------------------------------------
(c) Existing stations. Stations authorized prior to March 1, 1984
that do not conform to the requirements of this section may continue to
operate as authorized. Stations operating with facilities in excess of
those specified in paragraph (b) of this section may not increase their
effective radiated powers or extend their 1 mV/m field strength contour
beyond the location permitted by their present authorizations. The
provisions of this section will not apply to applications to increase
facilities for those stations operating with less than the minimum power
specified in paragraph (a) of this section.
(53 FR 17042, May 13, 1988, as amended at 54 FR 16367, Apr. 24, 1989; 54
FR 19374, May 5, 1989; 54 FR 35339, Aug. 25, 1989]
Sec. 73.212 Administrative changes in authorizations.
(a) In the issuance of FM broadcast station authorizations, the
Commission will specify the transmitter output power and effective
radiated power in accordance with the following tabulation:
Rounded
out to
nearest
Power (watts or kW) figure
(watts or
M
------------------------------------------------------------------------
1 to 3 ...................................................... .05
3 to 10 ..................................................... .1
10 to 30 .................................................... .5
30 to 100 ................................................... 1
100 to 300 .................................................. 5
300 to 1,000 ................................................ 10
------------------------------------------------------------------------
(b) Antenna heights above average terrain will be rounded out to the
nearest meter.
[28 FR 13623, Dec. 14, 1963, as amended at 48 FR 29506, June 27, 19831
Sec. 73.213 Grandfathered short -spaced stations.
(a) Stations at locations authorized prior to November 16, 1964 that
did not meet the separation distances required by Sec. 73.207 and have
remained short -spaced since that time may be modified or relocated
provided that the predicted distance to the 1 mV/m field strength
contour is not extended toward the 1 mV/m field strength contour of any
short -spaced station. Mutual increase in the facilities of such stations
up to the limits set forth in Sec. 73.211 may bre permitted pursuant to
an agreement between the affected stations and a showing of public
interest. See See. 73-.4235.
(b) Stations at locations authorized prior to May 17, 1989, that did
not meet the IF separation distances required by
[[Page 119]]
Sec. 73.2G7 and have remained short -spaced since -that time may be
modified or relocated provided that the overlap area of the two
stations` 36 mV/m field strength contours is not increased.
(c) Short spacings involving at least one Class A allotment or
authorization. Stations that became short spaced on or after November
16, 1964 (including stations that do not meet the minimum distance
separation requirements of paragraph (c)(1) of this section and that
propose to maintain or increase their existing distance separations) may
be modified or relocated in accordance with paragraph (c}(1) or (c}(2)
of this section, except that this provision does not apply to stations
that became short spaced by grant of applications filed after October 1,
1989, or filed pursuant to Sec. 73.215. If the reference coordinates of
an allotment are short spaced to an authorized facility or another
allotment (as a result of the revision of Sec. 73.207 in the Second
Report and Order in MM Docket No. 88-375), an application for the
allotment may be authorized, and subsequently modified after grant, in
accordance with paragraph (c)(1) or (c)(2) of this section only with
respect to such short spacing. No other stations will be authorized
pursuant to these paragraphs.
(1) Applications for authorization under requirements equivalent to
those of prior rules. Each application for authority to operate a Class
A station with no more than 3000 watts ERP and 100 meters antenna HAAT
(or equivalent lower ERP and higher antenna HAAT based on a class
contour distance of 24 km) must specify a transmitter site that meets
the minimum distance separation requirements in this paragraph. Each