§ 74.1203   Interference.

   (a) An authorized FM translator or booster station will not be
   permitted to continue to operate if it causes any actual interference
   to:

   (1) The transmission of any authorized broadcast station; or

   (2) The reception of the input signal of any TV translator, TV booster,
   FM translator or FM booster station; or

   (3) The direct reception by the public of the off-the-air signals of
   any authorized broadcast station including TV Channel 6 stations, Class
   D (secondary) noncommercial educational FM stations, and previously
   authorized and operating FM translators and FM booster stations.
   Interference will be considered to occur whenever reception of a
   regularly used signal is impaired by the signals radiated by the FM
   translator or booster station, regardless of the quality of such
   reception, the strength of the signal so used, or the channel on which
   the protected signal is transmitted.

   (b) If interference cannot be properly eliminated by the application of
   suitable techniques, operation of the offending FM translator or
   booster station shall be suspended and shall not be resumed until the
   interference has been eliminated. Short test transmissions may be made
   during the period of suspended operation to check the efficacy of
   remedial measures. If a complainant refuses to permit the FM translator
   or booster licensee to apply remedial techniques which demonstrably
   will eliminate the interference without impairment to the original
   reception, the licensee of the FM translator or booster station is
   absolved of further responsibility for that complaint.

   (c) An FM booster station will be exempted from the provisions of
   paragraphs (a) and (b) of this section to the extent that it may cause
   limited interference to its primary station's signal, provided it does
   not disrupt the existing service of its primary station or cause such
   interference within the boundaries of the principal community of its
   primary station.

   (d) A fill-in FM translator operating on the first, second or third
   adjacent channel to its primary station's channel will be exempt from
   the provisions of paragraphs (a) and (b) of this section to the extent
   that it may cause limited interference to its primary station's signal,
   provided it does not disrupt the existing service of its primary
   station or cause such interference within the boundaries of the
   principal community of its primary station.

   (e) It shall be the responsibility of the licensee of an FM translator
   or FM booster station to correct any condition of interference which
   results from the radiation of radio frequency energy by its equipment
   on any frequency outside the assigned channel. Upon notice by the
   Commission to the station licensee that such interference is being
   caused, the operation of the FM translator or FM booster station shall
   be suspended within three minutes and shall not be resumed until the
   interference has been eliminated or it can be demonstrated that the
   interference is not due to spurious emissions by the FM translator or
   FM booster station; provided, however, that short test transmissions
   may be made during the period of suspended operation to check the
   efficacy of remedial measures.

   [ 55 FR 50693 , Dec. 10, 1990, as amended at  60 FR 55484 , Nov. 1, 1995]

   return arrow Back to Top