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- F.C.C. RULES AND REGULATIONS
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- STATION CLASSIFICATION
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- AM Classification
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- Class 1. Class 1 stations are clear
- channel stations with power not exceed-
- 50 kw. Their frequencies are protected
- from onterference up to 750 miles.
-
- Class 2. Class 2 stations are clear
- channel stations with power ranging from
- 50 kw to 250 kw. All class 2 stations
- must alter their signals at sunset so as
- not to interfere with class 1 stations.
-
- Class 3. These are stations with less
- coverage area than Class 1 or 2 stations
- These stations are assigned up to 5 kw
- ERP (effective radiated power).
-
- Class 4. Here are stations that operate
- at 1kw or lower. These stations have to
- sign off at sunset by law.
-
-
- FM Classification
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- Class C. These are the most powerful of
- all FM stations. Stations in this class
- may be assigned a maximum ERP of 100 kw.
- and a tower height of 2000 feet.
-
- Class B. Class B stations operate up to
- 50 kw. The class B tower can not extend
- beyond a height of 500 feet.
-
- Class A. Class A station can not have
- an ERP in excess of 3 kw., and the tower
- can not exceed a height of 328 feet.
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- Class D This is set aside for non-com
- mercial stations with 1o watts ERP.
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- Class C1 These stations may transmit up
- to 100 kw. ERP with antennas not to ex-
- tend 984 feet.
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- Class C2 These stations may transmit up
- to 50 kw. ERP with antennas not to ex-
- tend 492 feet.
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- Class B1 These stations may transmit up
- to 25 kw. ERP with antennas not to ex-
- tend 328 feet.
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- ENGINEER'S DUTIES
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- The FCC requires that all stations
- designate someone as a chief engineer. A
- chief engineer is responsible for all of
- the station's technical operations.
- Equipment repair, weekly inspections
- and transmitter calibrations are all the
- tasks of the chief engineer.
- Other duties of the chief engineer
- include training technicians, monitoring
- radiation levels, and keeping track of
- station logs.
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- STATION LOGS
- All stations must keep an engineering
- log. This document is to be kept on file
- for two years from it's inception. The
- station log must contain the following
- information:
- 1. Transmitter output
- 2. Changes in output
- 3. Tower Light Malfuctions
- 4. EBS Test Information
- 5. Operator on duty signatures.
-
- Entries must be made in the station
- log either manually by a properly lic-
- ensed operator in actual charge of the
- transmitting devices.
- Indications of operating parameters
- that are required to be logged must be
- logged prior to any adjustment of the
- equipment. Where adjustments are made to
- restore parameters to thier proper oper-
- ating values, the corrected indications
- must be logged and accompanied, if any
- parameter deviation was beyond the pre-
- scribed tolerance, by a notation descri-
- bing the nature of the corrective action
- Indications of all parameters whose val-
- ues are affected by the modulation of
- the carrier, must be read without modul-
- ation. The actual time of observation
- must be included in each log entry.
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- EBS WARNINGS
-
- All stations are required to run a
- test of the E.B.S ( Emergency Broadcast
- System) at least once a week. This test
- is to be conducted and the results of it
- are to be logged on the station log. The
- date, time, and test result is to be put
- on the log along with the initials of
- Operator on Duty. Any failures of the
- EBS test are to be noted on the log.
- All EBS test warnings that are aired
- are to be accompannied with a disclaimer
- stating that the test is in fact a test.
- When a Weather Watch is reported to a
- station, this is where conditions are in
- a favorable position for the condition.
- No further action is needed by the fa-
- cility. However if the announcement is a
- Warning, the EBS tones must be sounded
- and the announcement must be made. This
- is to be properly logged.
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- LICENSE
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- a. The stations license and or other
- instrument of station authorization
- shall be posted in a conspicuous place,
- and in such a manner that all terms are
- visible at the place the licensee con-
- siders to be the principal control point
- of the transmitter. At all other control
- or ATS monitoring and alarm points a
- photocopy of the station of the station
- license and other authorizations shall
- be posted.
- b. The operator license of each sta-
- tion operator employed full time or part
- time or via a contract, shall be perman-
- ently posted and shall remain posted so
- long as the operator is employed by the
- licensee. Operators employed at two or
- more stations that are not co-located
- shall post their operator license or
- permit at one of the stations, and a
- photocopy of the license or permit at
- each other station. The operator license
- shall be posted where the operator is on
- duty either:
-
- (1) At the transmitter
- (2) At the extension meter location
- (3) At the remote control point
- (4) At the monitoring and alarm point
-
- c. Posting of the operator's license
- and the stations license, and any other
- instrument of authorization shall be
- done by affixing the licenses to a wall
- at the posting location, or by enclosing
- them in a binder or folder which is re-
- tained at the posting location, so that
- the documents will be readily available
- and easily accessible.
-
- The preceding was a comprehensive guide
- guide to the rules and regulations of
- Federal Communication Commission.
-