(a) A license for a remote pickup station will be issued to: the licensee of an AM, FM, noncommercial FM, low power FM, TV, Class A TV, international broadcast or low power TV station; broadcast network-entity; or cable network-entity.

(b) Base stations may operate as automatic relay stations on the frequencies listed in §74.402(b)(4) and (c)(1) under the provisions of §74.436, however, one licensee may not operate such stations on more than two frequency pairs in a single area.

(c) Base stations may use voice communications between the studio and transmitter or points of any intercity relay system on frequencies in Groups I and J.

(d) Base stations may be authorized to establish standby circuits from places where official broadcasts may be made during times of emergency and circuits to interconnect an emergency survival communications system.

(e) In Alaska, Guam, Hawaii, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands, base stations may provide program circuits between the studio and transmitter or to relay programs between broadcasting stations. A base station may be operated unattended in accordance with the following:

(1) The station must be designed, installed, and protected so that the transmitter can only be activated or controlled by persons authorized by the licensee.

(2) The station must be equipped with circuits to prevent transmitter operation when no signal is received from the station which it is relaying.

(f) Remote pickup stations may use only those frequencies and bandwidths which are necessary for operation.

(g) An application for a remote pickup broadcast station or system shall specify the broadcasting station with which the remote pickup broadcast facility is to be principally used and the licensed area of operation for a system which includes mobile stations shall be the area considered to be served by the associated broadcasting station. Mobile stations may be operated outside the licensed area of operation pursuant to §74.24 of this part. Where the applicant for remote pickup broadcast facilities is the licensee of more than one class of broadcasting station (AM, FM, TV), all licensed to the same community, designation of one such station as the associated broadcasting station will not preclude use of the remote pickup broadcast facilities with those broadcasting stations not included in the designation and such additional use shall be at the discretion of the licensee.

(h) In cases where a series of broadcasts are to be made from the same location, portable or mobile transmitters may be left at such location for the duration of the series of broadcasts: Provided, The transmitting apparatus is properly secured so that it may not be operated by unauthorized persons when unattended. Prior Commission authority shall be obtained for the installation of any transmitting antenna which requires notification to the FAA, pursuant to §17.7 of the Commission's rules and regulations, and which will be in existence for more than 2 days.

(i) The location of each remote pickup broadcast base station will be specified in the station or system license and such stations may not be operated at any other location without prior authority of the Commission.

(j) The license shall be retained in the licensee's files at the address shown on the authorization.

(k) In case of permanent discontinuance of operations of a station licensed under this subpart, the licensee shall cancel the station license using FCC Form 601. For purposes of this section, a station which is not operated for a period of one year is considered to have been permanently discontinued.

(Sec. 5, 48 Stat. 1068; 47 U.S.C. 155)

[41 FR 29686, July 19, 1976, as amended at 42 FR 2071, Jan. 10, 1977; 47 FR 21496, May 18, 1982; 49 FR 14509, Apr. 12, 1984; 51 FR 4602, Feb. 6, 1986; 58 FR 19775, Apr. 16, 1993; 60 FR 55482, Nov. 1, 1995; 65 FR 30011, May 10, 2000; 68 FR 12764, Mar. 17, 2003; 84 FR 2759, Feb. 8, 2019]