Title 47Telegraphs, Telephones, and RadiotelegraphsRelease 119-73

§390 Declaration of purpose

Title 47 › Chapter CHAPTER 5— - WIRE OR RADIO COMMUNICATION › Subchapter SUBCHAPTER III— - SPECIAL PROVISIONS RELATING TO RADIO › Part Part IV— - Assistance for Planning and Construction of Public Telecommunications Facilities; Telecommunications Demonstrations; Corporation for Public Broadcasting; General Provisions › Subpart subpart a— - assistance for planning and construction of public telecommunications facilities › § 390

Last updated Apr 6, 2026|Official source

Summary

Gives matching grants to help plan and build public communications facilities. The grants aim to reach as many people as possible using efficient broadcast and other technology; increase services, ownership, and facilities run by minorities and women; and strengthen public TV and radio stations.

Full Legal Text

Title 47, §390

Telegraphs, Telephones, and Radiotelegraphs — Source: USLM XML via OLRC

The purpose of this subpart is to assist, through matching grants, in the planning and construction of public telecommunications facilities in order to achieve the following objectives: (1) extend delivery of public telecommunications services to as many citizens of the United States as possible by the most efficient and economical means, including the use of broadcast and nonbroadcast technologies; (2) increase public telecommunications services and facilities available to, operated by, and owned by minorities and women; and (3) strengthen the capability of existing public television and radio stations to provide public telecommunications services to the public.

Legislative History

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

Amendments

1978—Pub. L. 95–567 expanded scope of section to authorize

Construction

financing for telecommunications facilities other than television and radio broadcasting, and assistance in the planning, as well as the

Construction

, of such facilities, and substituted provisions relating to the objectives of this subpart for former provision relating to the demonstration of the use of telecommunication technologies for the distribution of information. 1976—Pub. L. 94–309 designated existing phrase relating to assistance in the

Construction

of noncommercial educational broadcasting facilities as cl. (1) and added cl. (2). 1967—Pub. L. 90–129 inserted “noncommercial” and “or radio” and substituted “subpart” for “part”, respectively.

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Effective Date

of 1978 Amendment Pub. L. 95–567, title IV, § 403, Nov. 2, 1978, 92 Stat. 2424, provided that: “The provisions of this Act [enacting section 395 of this title, amending this section and section 391, 392, 393, 394, and 396 to 398 of this title, repealing section 392a and 395 of this title, and enacting provisions set out as notes under this section, section 392 and 396 of this title, and section 5316 of Title 5, Government Organization and Employees], and the

Amendments

made by this Act, shall take effect on the date of the enactment of this Act [Nov. 2, 1978].” Grants Pub. L. 100–584, § 3, Nov. 3, 1988, 102 Stat. 2970, provided that the Administrator would enter into discussions with the Federal Communications Commission for the purposes of determining the feasibility of awarding public telecommunications facilities program grants for low-power television stations and television translator stations on a conditional basis pending the award by the Commission of licenses for such stations, and would work with the Commission to establish a schedule for the expedited and coordinated consideration of future grant requests and license applications for low-power television stations, and within 90 days after Nov. 3, 1988, report to Congress on the progress made in carrying out this section. Study of Educational and Instructional Broadcasting Pub. L. 90–129, title III, §§ 301–303, Nov. 7, 1967, 81 Stat. 373, authorized the Secretary of Health, Education, and Welfare to conduct, directly or by contract, and in consultation with other interested Federal agencies, a comprehensive study of instructional television and radio (including broadcast, closed circuit, community antenna television, and instructional television fixed services and two-way communication of data links and computers) and their relationship to each other and to instructional materials such as videotapes, films, discs, computers, and other educational materials or devices, and such other aspects thereof as may be of assistance in determining whether and what Federal aid should be provided for instructional radio and television and the form that aid should take, and which may aid communities, institutions, or agencies in determining whether and to what extent such activities should be used. The study was required to be submitted to the President for transmittal to the Congress on or before June 30, 1969.

Reference

Citations & Metadata

Citation

47 U.S.C. § 390

Title 47Telegraphs, Telephones, and Radiotelegraphs

Last Updated

Apr 6, 2026

Release point: 119-73