Title 47

SECTION 5.203

5.203 Experimental authorizations for licensed broadcast stations.

§ 5.203 Experimental authorizations for licensed broadcast stations.

(a) Licensees of broadcast stations (including TV Translator, LPTV, and TV Booster stations) may obtain experimental authorizations to conduct technical experimentation directed toward improvement of the technical phases of operation and service, and for such purposes may use a signal other than the normal broadcast program signal.

(b) Experimental authorizations for licensed broadcast stations may be requested by filing an informal application with the FCC in Washington, DC, describing the nature and purpose of the experimentation to be conducted, the nature of the experimental signal to be transmitted, and the proposed schedule of hours and duration of the experimentation.

(c) Experimental operations for licensed broadcast stations are subject to the following conditions:

(1) The authorized power of the station may not be exceeded more than 5 percent above the maximum power specified, except as specifically authorized for the experimental operations.

(2) Emissions outside the authorized bandwidth must be attenuated to the degree required for the particular type of station.

(3) The experimental operations may be conducted at any time the licensed station is authorized to operate, but the minimum required schedule of programming for the class and type of station must be met. AM stations also may conduct experimental operations during the experimental period (12 midnight local time to local sunrise) and at additional hours if permitted by the experimental authorization provided no interference is caused to other stations maintaining a regular operating schedule within such period(s).

(4) If a licensed station's experimental authorization permits the use of additional facilities or hours of operation for experimental purposes, no sponsored programs or commercial announcements may be transmitted during such experimentation.

(5) The licensee may transmit regularly scheduled programming concurrently with the experimental transmission if there is no significant impairment of service.

(6) No charges may be made, either directly or indirectly, for the experimentation; however, normal charges may be made for regularly scheduled programming transmitted concurrently with the experimental transmissions.

(d) The FCC may request a report of the research, experimentation and results at the conclusion of the experimental operation.

[78 FR 25162, Apr. 29, 2013, as amended at 84 FR 2758, Feb. 8, 2019]

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