Obtaining FCC Approval for NCE Station Fundraising To Aid Myanmar and China

The Commission generally prohibits noncommercial educational stations from engaging in on-air fundraising activities on behalf of any entity other than the station itself. See 47 .F.R. § 73.503(d). See also Commission Policy Concerning the Noncommercial Nature of Educational Broadcast Stations, 90 FCC 2d 895, 907 (1982). The Commission, however, has granted rule waivers for fundraising appeals to support relief efforts following disasters of particular uniqueness or magnitude, such as Hurricanes Andrew and Katrina, the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks in New York City, and the January 2005 tsunami in Southeast Asia. These waivers have been issued for a specific fundraising program or programs, or for sustained station appeals for periods which generally do not exceed several days. Should a licensee wish to solicit contributions from viewers or listeners for the Mynamar and/or China relief efforts, it may file an informal request for a Section 73.503(d) waiver as follows:

 

1) The licensee may submit an electronic mail request to Barbara Kreisman
(barbara.kresiman@fcc.gov), if the request involves a television station, or to
Michael Wagner (michael.wagner@fcc.gov), if the request involves a radio
station.

2) The request should provide basic details of the fundraising activity:

a. the nature of the fundraising effort;

b. the proposed duration of the fundraising effort;
c. the organization(s) to which funds will be donated; and
d. whether the fundraiser will be part of the licensee’s regularly scheduled
pledge drive or fundraising effort.

For additional information, please contact the television or radio contact provided above.