# 74.24 Short-term operation.
All classes of broadcast auxiliary stations provided for in subparts D, E, F and H of this part, except wireless video assist devices, may be operated on a short-term basis under the authority conveyed by a part 73 license or a broadcast auxiliary license without prior authorization from the FCC, subject to the following conditions:
(a) Licensees operating under this provision must be eligible to operate the particular class of broadcast auxiliary station.
(b) The short-term broadcast auxiliary station shall be operated in conformance with all normally applicable regulations to the extent they are not superceded by specific provisions of this section.
(c) Short-term operation is on a secondary, non-interference basis to regularly authorized stations and shall be discontinued immediately upon notification that perceptible interference is being caused to the operation of a regularly authorized station. Short-term station operators shall, to the extent practicable, use only the effective radiated power and antenna height necessary for satisfactory system performance.
(d) Short-term operation under this section shall not exceed 720 hours annually per frequency.
Certain frequencies shared with other services which are normally available for permanent broadcast auxiliary station assignment may not be available for short-term operation. Refer to any note(s) which may be applicable to the use of a specific frequency prior to initiating operation.
(e) The antenna height of a station operated pursuant to this section shall not increase the height of any man-made antenna supporting structure, or increase by more than 6.1 meters (20 feet) the height of any other type of man-made structure or natural formation. However, the facilities of an authorized broadcast auxiliary station belonging to another licensee may be operated in accordance with the terms of its outstanding authorization.
(f) Stations operated pursuant to this section shall be identified by the transmission of the call sign of the associated part 73 broadcast station or broadcast auxiliary station, or, in the case of stations operated by broadcast network and cable network entities, by the network or cable entity's name and base of operations city.
(g) Prior to operating pursuant to the provisions of this section, licensees shall, for the intended location or area-of-operation, notify the appropriate frequency coordination committee or any licensee(s) assigned the use of the proposed operating frequency, concerning the particulars of the intended operation and shall provide the name and telephone number of a person who may be contacted in the event of interference. Except as provided herein, this notification provision shall not apply where an unanticipated need for immediate short-term mobile station operation would render compliance with the provisions of this paragraph impractical.
(1) A CARS licensee shall always be given advance notification prior to the commencement of short-term operation on or adjacent to an assigned frequency.
(2) The Commission may designate a frequency coordinator as the single point of contact under this section for advance coordination of major national and international events. Once designated, all short-term auxiliary broadcast use under this section must be coordinated in advance through the designated coordinator.
(i) Coordinators under this provision will not be designated unless the Commission receives an initial request, in writing, to designate a coordinator.
(ii) The Commission will issue a Public Notice with information regarding the designation of such a coordinator.
(iii) All coordination must be done on a non-discriminatory basis.
(iv) All licensees must abide by the decision of the coordinator. The Commission will be the final arbiter of any disputes.
(3) An unanticipated need will never be deemed to exist for a scheduled event, such as a convention, sporting event, etc.
(h) Short-term operation is limited to areas south or west of the United States-Canada border as follows:
(1) Use of broadcast auxiliary service frequencies below 470 MHz is limited to areas of the United States south of Line A or west of Line C unless the effective radiated power of the station is 5 watts or less. *See* § 1.928(e) of this chapter for a definition of Line A and Line C.
(2) A broadcast auxiliary service station operating on frequencies between 470 MHz and 1 GHz must be at least 56.3 kilometers (35 miles) south (or west, as appropriate of the United States-Canada border if the antenna looks within a 200° sector toward the border; or, the station must be at least 8.1 kilometers (5 miles) south (or west, as appropriate) if the antenna looks within a 160° sector away from the border. However, operation is not permitted in either of these two situations if the station would be within the coordination distance of a receiving earth station in Canada which uses the same frequency band. (The coordination distance is the distance, calculated for any station, according to Appendix 28 of the International Radio Regulations.)
(3) A broadcast auxiliary service station operating on frequencies above 1 GHz shall not be located within the coordination distance of a receiving earth station in Canada which uses the same frequency band. (The coordination distance is the distance, calculated for any station, according to Appendix 28 of the international Radio Regulations.)
(i)-(j) [Reserved]
(Secs. 4, 303, 48 Stat., as amended, 1066, 1032; 47 U.S.C. 158, 303)
[47 FR 9219, Mar. 4, 1982, as amended at 49 FR 34356, Aug. 30, 1984; 50 FR 23709, June 5, 1985; 62 FR 55532, Oct. 27, 1997; 68 FR 12762, Mar. 17, 2003; 70 FR 31373, June 1, 2005; 80 FR 53751, Sept. 8, 2015; 90 FR 57706, Dec. 12, 2025]