47 U.S.C. § 307 : US Code - Section 307: Licenses

Search 47 U.S.C. § 307 : US Code - Section 307: Licenses

(a) Grant
The Commission, if public convenience, interest, or necessity
will be served thereby, subject to the limitations of this chapter,
shall grant to any applicant therefor a station license provided
for by this chapter.
(b) Allocation of facilities
In considering applications for licenses, and modifications and
renewals thereof, when and insofar as there is demand for the same,
the Commission shall make such distribution of licenses,
frequencies, hours of operation, and of power among the several
States and communities as to provide a fair, efficient, and
equitable distribution of radio service to each of the same.
(c) Terms of licenses
(1) Initial and renewal licenses
Each license granted for the operation of a broadcasting
station shall be for a term of not to exceed 8 years. Upon
application therefor, a renewal of such license may be granted
from time to time for a term of not to exceed 8 years from the
date of expiration of the preceding license, if the Commission
finds that public interest, convenience, and necessity would be
served thereby. Consistent with the foregoing provisions of this
subsection, the Commission may by rule prescribe the period or
periods for which licenses shall be granted and renewed for
particular classes of stations, but the Commission may not adopt
or follow any rule which would preclude it, in any case involving
a station of a particular class, from granting or renewing a
license for a shorter period than that prescribed for stations of
such class if, in its judgment, the public interest, convenience,
or necessity would be served by such action.
(2) Materials in application
In order to expedite action on applications for renewal of
broadcasting station licenses and in order to avoid needless
expense to applicants for such renewals, the Commission shall not
require any such applicant to file any information which
previously has been furnished to the Commission or which is not
directly material to the considerations that affect the granting
or denial of such application, but the Commission may require any
new or additional facts it deems necessary to make its findings.
(3) Continuation pending decision
Pending any administrative or judicial hearing and final
decision on such an application and the disposition of any
petition for rehearing pursuant to section 405 or section 402 of
this title, the Commission shall continue such license in effect.
(d) Renewals
No renewal of an existing station license in the broadcast or the
common carrier services shall be granted more than thirty days
prior to the expiration of the original license.
(e) Operation of certain radio stations without individual licenses
(1) Notwithstanding any license requirement established in this
chapter, if the Commission determines that such authorization
serves the public interest, convenience, and necessity, the
Commission may by rule authorize the operation of radio stations
without individual licenses in the following radio services: (A)
the citizens band radio service; (B) the radio control service; (C)
the aviation radio service for aircraft stations operated on
domestic flights when such aircraft are not otherwise required to
carry a radio station; and (D) the maritime radio service for ship
stations navigated on domestic voyages when such ships are not
otherwise required to carry a radio station.
(2) Any radio station operator who is authorized by the
Commission to operate without an individual license shall comply
with all other provisions of this chapter and with rules prescribed
by the Commission under this chapter.
(3) For purposes of this subsection, the terms "citizens band
radio service", "radio control service", "aircraft station" and
"ship station" shall have the meanings given them by the Commission
by rule.
(f) Areas in Alaska without access to over the air broadcasts
Notwithstanding any other provision of law, (1) any holder of a
broadcast license may broadcast to an area of Alaska that otherwise
does not have access to over the air broadcasts via translator,
microwave, or other alternative signal delivery even if another
holder of a broadcast license begins broadcasting to such area, (2)
any holder of a broadcast license who has broadcast to an area of
Alaska that did not have access to over the air broadcasts via
translator, microwave, or other alternative signal delivery may
continue providing such service even if another holder of a
broadcast license begins broadcasting to such area, and shall not
be fined or subject to any other penalty, forfeiture, or revocation
related to providing such service including any fine, penalty,
forfeiture, or revocation for continuing to operate notwithstanding
orders to the contrary.