While you are free to determine your station’s non-commercial entertainment format, the FCC does have some rules that impact your broadcast programming and station operation.
Operating schedule
LPFM stations are required to operate at least 36 hours per week consisting of at least 5 hours a day on at least 6 days per week. Stations licensed to educational institutions are not required to broadcast on weekends or have to operate during vacation periods.
Did you know?
LPFM stations that are authorized for unlimited (24/7) operation and have been licensed for at least 3 years but are not operating at least 12 hours a day on a regular basis are subject to another organization filing to request the station’s unused time and subjecting the existing station to time-sharing. Such an application can be filed anytime (e.g. outside of a window) and will not acted upon until the license renewal period after June 1, 2019. See §73.850(c).
Station Identification
Station identification is made at the beginning and end of each period of operation and hourly as close to the hour as feasible, at a natural break in program offerings. The identification shall consist of the station’s call letters including the “LP” and immediately followed by the community of license as shown on the license. The only things that can be inserted between the call letters and community are the name of licensee and/or station frequency.
"WREC-LP, Riverton" - legal
"WREC-LP, community radio for Riverton" - not legal
"WREC-LP, 102.1, Riverton" - legal
"WREC-LPFM, Riverton" - not legal
"WREC Riverton 102.1 LPFM" - not legal
"WREC-LP, Riverton, Sharptown, Mardela Springs" - legal
"WREC-LP, Sharptown, Riverton, Mardela Springs" - not legal if the city on the license is Riverton.The "LP" only needs to be used at the top-of-the-hour for the legal ID. For example, if you want to use just "WREC" for the rest of your on-air imaging, that's OK as long as "WREC-LP, Riverton" is spoken at the top of the hour.
Non-Commercial Operation
LPFM is a non-commercial educational service. An LPFM station may be licensed only to non-profit or non-commercial entities. For extensive information, please evaluate your station's operations with the REC Compliance Guide.
Did you know?
With the exception of tobacco products (cigarettes, little cigars and smokeless tobacco), non-commercial stations can broadcast the original classic commercials aired in old time radio programs.
Retransmission
An LPFM station may not retransmit, either terrestrially or via satellite, the signal of a full-power radio broadcast station.
Did you know?
A full-power station can rebroadcast the program of an LPFM station.
LPFM stations are permitted to rebroadcast other LPFM stations however LPFM stations should be careful as they are prohibited from entering into an operating agreement including a time brokerage or management arrangement with either a full power or another LPFM station.
Telephone Conversations
Before recording a telephone conversation for broadcast or broadcasting such a conversation simultaneous with its occurrence, the licensee shall inform any party to the call of the licensee’s intention to broadcast the conversation, except where the party is aware, or maybe presumed to be aware from the circumstances of the conversation, that it is being or likely will be broadcast.
Third Adjacent Periodic Announcements
Many new LPFM stations from the 2023 LPFM Filing Window are expected to carry a periodic announcement as required by Section 7 of the Local Community Radio Act of 2011. These announcements are to advise listeners if they were to encounter interference on any station that is three channels away from the LPFM station that they should contact the LPFM station.
These announcements are to be carried in the first year of operation. We suggest using the date that the original License to Cover application has been granted as the starting point.
To determine which stations need to be included in this announcement, check with your consultant, engineer, attorney or REC Networks (via email) to determine if there are any third-adjacent channel stations that the LPFM station does meet what would otherwise be the minimum distance separation requirements (it's the same as second-adjacent distances) and are within 100 km of the LPFM station. Only the closest station on each of the third-adjacent channels needs to be mentioned. If the third-adjacent channel station is less than the minimum distance, it does not need to be mentioned. If there are no stations that meet this criteria, no periodic announcement is required.
If the announcements are required, they must air in accordance with this schedule:
- During the first 30 days of licensed operation: Announcements must run twice daily. The first announcement must air between either 7AM~9AM or 4PM~6PM and the second announcement must be made outside of those periods. The air times of the announcements should vary. Time share stations that do not operate during both the 7AM~9AM and 4PM~6PM time slots must schedule the announcement within 2 hours of the start of operations for the day.
- From day 31 through 365 of licensed operation: The announcements must be ran twice per week between the hours of 7AM and midnight.
- After day 365: Announcements are no longer necessary.
The content of the announcement must be as follows:
On (date of license grant), the Federal Communications Commission granted (LPFM station’s call letters) a license to operate. (LPFM station’s call letters) may cause interference to the operations of (third-adjacent channel station’s call letters) and (other third-adjacent channel stations’ call letters). If you are normally a listener of (third-adjacent channel station’s call letters) or (other third-adjacent channel station’s call letters) and are having difficulty receiving (third-adjacent channel station call letters) or (other third-adjacent channel station’s call letters), please contact (LPFM station’s call letters) by mail at (mailing address) or by telephone at (telephone number) to report this interference.
If a complaint is received, notify the Audio Division at the FCC Media Bureau within 48 hours of the complaint and cooperate in addressing any third-adjacent channel interference. Unless specifically requested by FCC staff, you will not be required to shut down the LPFM station. We note that while the likelihood of such interference actually occurring is massively rare, it is still a statutory requirement as part of the LCRA.
Self Check
- Does this station operate with sufficient hours to comply with the minimum operating schedule for LPFM stations?
- Is the station identification being made in accordance with the rules?
- Is the station being operated in a compliant non-commercial manner?
- Is 100% of the programming on the station from sources other than a full-power radio broadcast station?
- Does the station notify telephone callers of their intent to broadcast the conversation BEFORE recording or airing the call?
- If a new station, licensed for less than one year, is the station carrying the third-adjacent channel periodic announcements as required?
References
- §73.503 – Licensing requirements and service (Non-commercial educational)
- §73.810 - Third adjacent channel complaint and license modification procedure
- §73.850 – Operating schedule
- §73.853 – Licensing requirements and service (Low Power FM)
- §73.879 – Signal retransmission
- §73.1201 – Station identification
- §73.1206 – Broadcast of telephone conversations
- 47 USC §399b – Offering of certain services, facilities or products by public broadcast station
- Commission Policy on the Noncommercial Nature of Educational Broadcasting
- FCC 1989 letter to KAWC clarifying policy about airing old time radio commercials on NCE stations.
Related REC Knowledge Base Questions and Answers
- Can two LPFM stations share the same programming?
- Can one LPFM station simulcast another LPFM station?
- We are a school and we are closing for summer vacation. The rules state I need to broadcast 36 hours a week. How can we do that if we are not there?
- FAQs related to Non-commercial nature of LPFM
Next up is Technical Operations.
Information in this document is current as of March 27, 2025.
Information provided by REC Networks is for educational purposes only and should not be construed as legal advice. For legal advice, please obtain the services of a qualified attorney that specializes in FCC law, especially where it comes to LPFM.
