FCC Radio and Television Broadcast Regulations

Every AM radio station, FM station, television broadcaster, and noncommercial educational broadcaster in the United States operates under a federal license governed by 47 CFR Part 73 — the FCC's comprehensive rulebook for the broadcast industry. Part 73 sets technical parameters for each service, establishes what licensees must do to serve the public interest, governs political advertising and equal time requirements, and specifies the procedures for license renewals and transfers. The central legal premise: the radio spectrum is a scarce public resource, and broadcasters receive licenses — not property rights — to use a frequency in exchange for serving the "public interest, convenience, and necessity" of their communities.

Current Rule (2026)

What This Rule Does

Every AM radio station, FM station, television broadcaster, low power FM outlet, and noncommercial educational broadcaster in the United States operates under a federal license governed by 47 CFR Part 73. This Part is the FCC's comprehensive rulebook for the broadcast industry — setting technical parameters for each service, establishing what licensees must do to serve the public interest, defining the rules for political advertising, requiring disclosures to listeners and viewers, and specifying the procedures for license transfers.

The central legal premise of broadcast regulation is that the radio spectrum is a scarce public resource. Broadcasters receive licenses — not property rights — to use a frequency in a defined geographic area. In exchange, they must serve the "public interest, convenience, and necessity" of their communities. Part 73 operationalizes that bargain across every type of broadcast station.

Common Rules for All Broadcast Stations (Subpart H)

The most important broadcast rules apply regardless of service type — AM, FM, or TV.

Station identification (§ 73.1201): Broadcast stations must identify themselves by call letters and community of license at the beginning and ending of each operating day and hourly as close to the hour as feasible. The ID must be made at a natural programming break; pre-recorded IDs are permissible. Stations must also disclose their frequency or channel number at identification.

Sponsorship identification (§ 73.1212): When a station broadcasts any matter for which money, service, or other valuable consideration is received — including paid advertisements, sponsored content, and payola arrangements — the station must announce that the material is sponsored and identify who paid for it. "Payola" (undisclosed payment for playing music or promoting content) is a federal crime. Stations must maintain lists of sponsors for inspection. The rule applies to political advertising, product mentions, and any other commercial arrangements.

Telephone conversation broadcast (§ 73.1206): Before recording a telephone conversation for broadcast, or broadcasting it simultaneously with its occurrence, the licensee must inform any party to the conversation who is not otherwise aware that it may be broadcast. This informed-consent requirement does not apply to calls made specifically to be broadcast (call-in shows, radio contests where callers know they're on air).

Broadcast hoaxes (§ 73.1217): No licensee may broadcast false information about a crime or catastrophe if the station knows the information is false, if broadcasting it will cause substantial public harm, and if it is foreseeable that the broadcast will in fact cause that harm. Hoax news broadcasts triggering emergency responses or public panic can result in FCC enforcement action and license revocation proceedings.

Contests (§ 73.1216): Stations that conduct or advertise contests must fully and accurately disclose the material terms — including how to enter, eligibility restrictions, when the contest ends, and prize information. A station cannot conduct a contest that is deceptive, operate one contrary to its announced terms, or misrepresent the odds of winning.

Emergency information (§ 73.1250): Broadcast stations are expected to broadcast emergency information during threatening public emergencies. This section coordinates with the Emergency Alert System (EAS), which requires participating stations to interrupt programming with official emergency alerts (Amber Alerts, tornado warnings, Presidential alerts). EAS participation is mandatory for broadcast stations.

License term and renewal (§ 73.1020): Broadcast licenses run for 8 years. At renewal, stations must demonstrate that they served the public interest during the license period. License renewals must be filed electronically through the FCC's Licensing Management System (LMS); the public notice and 30-day comment period allows community members to challenge renewal.

Transfer of station (§ 73.1150): A broadcast license cannot be transferred without FCC approval. The transferee must meet FCC character, citizenship, and ownership requirements. License transfers require full public disclosure, an FCC application, and a period for public comment. Licensees may not retain reversion rights or hidden ownership interests after a transfer.

Station inspection (§ 73.1225): FCC field agents may inspect a broadcast station during its business hours without advance notice. Stations must make their records, public files, and transmitting equipment available for inspection. The public inspection file — which must contain license applications, political advertising orders, EEO records, and children's programming reports — must be accessible online through the FCC's database.

Transmission system operation (§ 73.1350): Each licensee is responsible for maintaining and operating its station within FCC technical tolerances. Stations must monitor their transmitters and have systems to identify technical issues. Unattended operation is permitted but the licensee remains responsible for technical compliance.

AM Broadcast Stations (Subpart A)

AM radio operates in the 535–1705 kHz band. Stations are classified by power level and time of operation: Class A (clear channel, high-power stations operating 24 hours), Class B, Class C, and Class D. Clear channel stations like WLW, WSB, and WGN historically dominated their frequencies; the AM band's nighttime skywave propagation (signals reflecting off the ionosphere) means AM signals can travel thousands of miles at night, requiring strict interference protection rules. AM stations must implement the FCC's AM revitalization rules to improve station coverage and technical performance, including installation of HD Radio digital systems in some markets.

FM Broadcast Stations (Subpart B)

FM radio operates in the 88–108 MHz band. Commercial FM stations are classified A through C3 based on transmitter power and antenna height; higher-class stations have broader coverage contours. FM stations are licensed to a specific community of license and must protect higher-class stations from interference. The FM band's superior audio quality and local coverage (FM signals are largely limited to line-of-sight propagation) has made FM the dominant radio medium since the 1980s.

Noncommercial Educational FM (Subpart D)

The lower end of the FM band (88.1–91.9 MHz) is reserved for noncommercial educational stations. NCE stations may not air paid commercials; underwriting announcements (brief sponsor acknowledgments) are permitted but must not include pricing, calls to action, or other promotional content typical of commercial ads. Public radio stations, college radio, and other NCE licensees operate under these rules. The FCC awards NCE licenses through a merit-based points system (not spectrum auction).

Low Power FM (Subpart G)

Low Power FM (LPFM) stations are community-oriented, low-power FM stations with coverage of roughly 3.5 miles. LPFM licenses are reserved for educational organizations, government entities, tribes, and other non-commercial entities. They may not be owned by commercial interests or existing full-power broadcasters. LPFM has become an important vehicle for community radio, allowing local voices — schools, churches, neighborhood groups — to operate licensed broadcast stations without the capital costs of full-power FM.

Political Broadcasting — Equal Opportunities (§ 315)

One of the most significant broadcast regulations is the Equal Opportunity Rule under 47 U.S.C. § 315 and the FCC's implementing rules: if a broadcast station gives or sells time to a legally qualified candidate for public office, it must give equal opportunities to all other legally qualified candidates for the same office. The rule also requires the station to sell time to federal candidates at the Lowest Unit Charge — the cheapest rate the station charges commercial advertisers for the same class and period of time. The Lowest Unit Charge requirement applies during 45 days before a primary and 60 days before a general election.

How It Affects You

If you operate or want to start a broadcast station: All broadcast stations require an FCC license. Commercial AM and FM licenses are awarded through spectrum auctions for new frequencies or through assignment/transfer from existing licensees. NCE licenses use a points-based merit system. LPFM licenses are offered in filing windows. Operating without a license — "pirate radio" — is a federal violation subject to fines up to $100,000 per day and equipment seizure. Applications are filed electronically through the FCC's LMS system.

If you run for public office: You have a statutory right under § 315 to purchase broadcast advertising time at the Lowest Unit Charge during the pre-election window. Contact each broadcast station's political advertising sales contact to request their political rate card. Stations are required to maintain a public political file documenting all political ad requests and purchases.

If you want to challenge a station's license renewal: The public may file petitions to deny a renewal or informal objections with the FCC during the renewal comment period. Grounds include failure to serve the public interest, EEO violations, character issues, technical rule violations, or conduct that harms the community. Contact information for the station's licensee must be in the public file.

If you hear something you believe was broadcast illegally (undisclosed payola, false emergency broadcast, hoax): File a complaint with the FCC. Complaints can be filed online through the FCC's complaint portal; FCC field agents investigate credible complaints and can assess forfeiture penalties against licensees.

If you are a music artist, record label, or content producer: The payola and sponsorship ID rules mean any arrangement under which a station receives compensation to play your music or feature your content must be disclosed on-air. Undisclosed arrangements constitute fraud against listeners and violate federal law.

Statutory Authority

This rule implements:

• 47 U.S.C. § 154 — FCC general authority to regulate communications by radio and wire; authorizes the Commission to make and administer rules and regulations
• 47 U.S.C. § 307 — License grants: FCC shall grant licenses to applicants who meet statutory qualifications and whose operation is in the public interest; licenses run for terms established by the Commission (currently 8 years)
• 47 U.S.C. § 309 — Hearing requirements: FCC must hold a hearing before denying a license application or renewal if an objection is properly filed
• 47 U.S.C. § 315 — Equal opportunities for political candidates: stations providing time to one candidate for an office must offer equal opportunities to all other candidates; defines programming exempt from the equal opportunity requirement (news, interviews, documentaries, on-the-spot news coverage)
• 47 U.S.C. § 317 — Announcement of payment: any material for which consideration is received must be announced as sponsored; the underlying § 508 prohibits payola

Implementing Regulations

47 CFR Part 74 — Experimental Radio, Auxiliary, Special Broadcast, and Other Program Distributional Services (131 sections across 7 subparts): the companion rule to Part 73 that governs the auxiliary and relay services that the broadcast industry uses to move programming from studios to transmitters and to distribute signals across geographic gaps. Part 74 licenses are a critical but invisible part of the broadcast infrastructure — without them, a radio station could not send audio from its downtown studio to its transmitter tower on a hilltop 15 miles away, and a local TV news crew could not transmit live video from a breaking news scene back to the newsroom. Key services:

• Low Power TV and TV Translator Stations (Subpart G, 31 sections — largest subpart): Low Power TV (LPTV) stations operate at reduced power (up to 15 kW visual power for VHF, 150 kW for UHF) with secondary spectrum rights — they must yield to full-power TV stations but serve communities that full-power broadcasters don't reach. TV Translator stations receive an off-air signal from a full-power or LPTV station and re-transmit it to fill in coverage gaps in mountainous or rural terrain — allowing a community 40 miles from a city to receive TV signals that terrain would otherwise block. LPTV stations may originate local programming; translators generally may not. LPTV was created by FCC in 1982; there are approximately 2,700 LPTV stations and 4,300 translators in the U.S. The digital TV transition required all LPTV and translator stations to convert to digital (ATSC) transmission. The FCC's post-incentive auction repack (2017-2020) displaced or required frequency changes for hundreds of LPTV stations.
• FM Broadcast Translator Stations and FM Broadcast Booster Stations (Subpart L, 23 sections): FM translators receive an off-air FM signal and re-transmit it on a different frequency to improve coverage in fringe or shadowed areas; FM translators may not originate programming except locally originating emergency alerts. FM boosters retransmit the parent FM station's signal on the same frequency to fill in coverage gaps within the station's primary coverage area. The FCC's AM Revitalization (2015) allowed AM stations to apply for FM translators to simulcast their programming on FM — improving audio fidelity for AM listeners; hundreds of AM stations now operate paired FM translators under this program.
• Television Broadcast Auxiliary Stations (Subpart F, 21 sections): the relay stations and links that connect TV production facilities to transmitters and allow electronic news gathering (ENG); includes Studio-Transmitter Links (STLs) that carry the broadcast signal from the studio to the main transmitter; Electronic News Gathering (ENG) stations — the microwave links on satellite trucks that beam live remote broadcasts back to the studio; Intercity Relay stations that pass programming between facilities in different cities; most viewers see these as the microwave antenna dishes on news vans and atop broadcast buildings. ENG frequencies (2-13 GHz) are shared with other Part 74 users and government services; coordination is required in major metro areas to prevent interference.
• Remote Pickup Broadcast Stations (Subpart D, 13 sections): land mobile stations used by broadcasters for remote coverage — radio stations covering a parade or sporting event from a field reporter; TV stations covering news in areas not served by STL links; remote pickup stations may be portable (handheld units at crowd events) or installed in vehicles; they operate on frequencies allocated specifically for broadcast remote pickup use (around 450 MHz) and require station coordination to prevent mutual interference
• Low Power Auxiliary Stations (Subpart H, 11 sections): covers the wireless microphone and in-ear monitor systems used in broadcast and live performance environments — the cordless microphones used in TV studios, the wireless earpieces worn by news anchors, and the body packs worn by performers on stage; low power auxiliary stations operate on a non-interfering basis within their licensed premises; the FCC's multiple reassignments of TV spectrum (incentive auction, 600 MHz band) have repeatedly displaced wireless microphone users, requiring equipment replacement for studios and performance venues

Part 74's practical significance: every local news broadcast involves multiple Part 74 services operating simultaneously — an STL from the studio to the transmitter, ENG links from two or three remote news crews, a translator on a nearby mountain extending coverage to rural viewers, and wireless microphones on every on-air personality. The broadcast infrastructure visible to viewers is built on a stack of interconnected Part 74 auxiliary licenses that the industry manages largely invisibly through coordination agreements and FCC-registered frequency assignments.

Recent Rulemakings

• AM Revitalization (2015-2020): FCC rules to improve AM station coverage and signal quality, including allowing AM stations to apply for FM translators, relaxing coverage area modification rules, and promoting HD Radio digital AM broadcasting.
• LPFM expansion (2013, ongoing): The Local Community Radio Act of 2010 directed FCC to expand LPFM; FCC opened a filing window in 2013 that resulted in over 1,700 new LPFM authorizations. Ongoing proceedings address interference protection and translator coordination.
• Broadcast ownership rules: FCC periodically reviews ownership limits (local and national caps on how many stations one entity can own). The Supreme Court's FCC v. Prometheus Radio Project (2021) upheld FCC ownership rule relaxations. The FCC's 2022-2023 quadrennial review proceedings address current ownership rules.
• Next Generation TV (ATSC 3.0): FCC authorized broadcasters to voluntarily deploy ATSC 3.0 ("NextGen TV") technology, enabling 4K video, immersive audio, and datacasting capabilities. Commercial TV stations in major markets began deploying NextGen TV in 2020-2024.

Recent Developments

• NextGen TV (ATSC 3.0) rollout: Commercial TV stations in over 60 U.S. markets had deployed ATSC 3.0 ("NextGen TV") infrastructure by 2025. The FCC-authorized voluntary transition allows stations to broadcast simultaneously in ATSC 1.0 (the existing standard) and ATSC 3.0. NextGen TV enables 4K resolution, immersive audio, datacasting, and targeted advertising capabilities. The transition is proceeding market by market as consumer TV manufacturers build ATSC 3.0 receivers into products.
• Broadcast ownership consolidation: Following the Supreme Court's 2021 FCC v. Prometheus Radio Project decision upholding FCC's authority to relax ownership rules, FCC continued its quadrennial review of broadcast ownership limits. The Republican-majority FCC under the Trump administration has generally favored relaxing local and national ownership caps, which could allow further consolidation of radio and TV station ownership in major markets.
• AM radio in cars — AMAR Act: Congress has debated requiring automakers to include AM radio receivers in new vehicles after several major automakers (BMW, Volvo, Tesla, Ford) announced plans to remove AM radio from electric vehicles, citing electromagnetic interference from EV motors. The AM Radio for Every Vehicle Act (AMAR Act) was introduced in multiple sessions to require AM inclusion. AM broadcasters argue that AM remains a critical emergency alert medium, particularly for rural areas with limited cell coverage.
• LPFM and community radio growth: The 2013 LPFM expansion window resulted in over 1,700 new low-power FM authorizations. LPFM stations — limited to 100 watts — serve hyper-local communities (neighborhoods, college campuses, faith communities) and cannot be licensed to commercial entities. LPFM advocacy groups continue pressing FCC to allow translator coordination improvements and increased power for some LPFM stations.
• AI and music licensing for radio: Broadcast stations pay performance royalties to SoundExchange (for digital streams), ASCAP, BMI, and SESAC (for compositions). The intersection of AI-generated music with existing royalty frameworks is an emerging issue — AI music tools can generate broadcast-quality audio, raising questions about licensing obligations and performer rights for AI-assisted content on traditional broadcast radio.

Pending Action

The AM Radio for Every Vehicle Act (AMAR Act) is the most significant pending legislative action affecting broadcast radio. If enacted, it would mandate AM radio receivers in all new passenger vehicles — reversing automakers' EV-era decisions to remove AM. Congressional support has been bipartisan; the bill cleared the Senate Commerce Committee. Watch for floor votes and any White House position given the intersection with EV policy. Separately, FCC's quadrennial broadcast ownership review is ongoing; Republican FCC commissioners have signaled intent to further relax local radio ownership limits, which could accelerate market consolidation. Broadcasters should monitor any FCC proposed rules coming out of the ownership review.