CFR

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]

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