Sec. 74.731  Purpose and permissible service.

    (a) Television broadcast translator stations and television 
broadcast booster stations provide a means whereby the signals of 
television broadcast stations may be retransmitted to areas in which 
direct reception of such television broadcast stations is unsatisfactory 
due to distance or intervening terrain barriers.
    (b) Except as provided in paragraph (f) of this section, a 
television broadcast translator station or television broadcast booster 
station may be used only to receive the signals of a television 
broadcast station, another television broadcast translator station, a 
television translator relay station, a television intercity relay 
station, a television STL station, or other suitable source such as a 
CARS or common carrier microwave station, for the simultaneous 
retransmission of the programs and signals of a television broadcast 
station. Such retransmissions may be accomplished by either:
    (1) Reception of the television programs and signals of a television 
broadcast station directly through space, conversion to a different 
channel by simple heterodyne frequency conversion and suitable 
amplification; or,
    (2) Modulation and amplification of a video and audio feed, in which 
case modulating equipment meeting the requirements of Sec. 74.750(d) 
shall be used.
    (c) The transmissions of each television broadcast translator 
station shall be intended for direct reception by the general public and 
any other use shall be incidental thereto. A television broadcast 
translator station shall not be operated solely for the purpose of 
relaying signals to one or more fixed receiving points for 
retransmission, distribution, or further relaying.
    (d) The technical characteristics of the retransmitted signals shall 
not be deliberately altered so as to hinder reception on conventional 
television broadcast receivers.
    (e) A television broadcast translator station shall not deliberately 
retransmit the signals of any station other than the station it is 
authorized by license to retransmit. Precautions shall be taken to avoid 
unintentional retransmission of such other signals.
    (f) A locally generated radio frequency signal similar to that of a 
TV broadcast station and modulated with visual and aural information may 
be connected to the input terminals of a television broadcast translator 
or low power station for the purposes of transmitting still photographs, 
slides and voice announcements. The radio frequency signals shall be on 
the same channel as the normally used off-the-air signal being 
rebroadcast. When transmitting originations concerning financial support 
or public service announcements, connection of the locally generated 
signals shall be made automatically either by means of a time switch or 
upon receipt of a control signal from the TV station being rebroadcast 
designed to actuate the switching circuit. The switching circuit will be 
so designed that the input circuit will be returned to the off-the-air 
signal within 30 seconds. The connection for emergency transmissions may 
be made manually. The apparatus used to generate the local signal which 
is used to modulate the translator or low power station must be capable 
of producing a visual or aural signal or both which will provide 
acceptable reception on television receivers designed for the 
transmission standards employed by TV broadcast stations. The visual and 
aural materials so transmitted shall be limited to emergency warnings of 
imminent danger, to local public service announcements and to seeking or 
acknowledging financial support deemed necessary to the continued 
operation of the station. Accordingly, the originations concerning 
financial support and PSAs are limited to 30 seconds each, no more than 
once per hour. Acknowledgements of financial support may include 
identification of the contributors, the size and nature of the 
contribution and advertising messages of contributors. Emergency 
transmissions shall be no longer or more frequent than necessary to 
protect life and property.
    (g) Low power TV stations may operate under the following modes of 
service:
    (1) As a TV translator station, subject to the requirements of this 
part;

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    (2) For origination of programming and commercial matter as defined 
in Sec. 74.701(f);
    (3) For the transmission of subscription television broadcast (STV) 
programs, intended to be received in intelligible form by members of the 
public for a fee or charge subject to the provisions of Secs. 73.642(e) 
and 73.644.
    (h) A low power TV station may not be operated solely for the 
purpose of relaying signals to one or more fixed receiving points for 
retransmission, distribution or relaying.
    (i) Low power TV stations are subject to no minimum required hours 
of operation and may operate in any of the 3 modes described in 
paragraph (g) of this section for any number of hours.
    (j) Television broadcast booster stations provide a means whereby 
the licensee of a television broadcast station may provide service to 
areas of low signal strength in any region within the primary station's 
Grade B contour. The booster station may not be located outside the 
predicted Grade B of its primary station nor may the predicted Grade B 
signal of the television booster station extend beyond the predicted 
Grade B contour of the primary station. A television broadcast booster 
station is authorized to retransmit only the signals of its primary 
station; it shall not retransmit the signals of any other stations nor 
make independent transmissions. However, locally generated signals may 
be used to excite the booster apparatus for the purpose of conducting 
tests and measurements essential to the proper installation and 
maintenance of the apparatus.
    (k) The transmissions of a television broadcast booster station 
shall be intended for direct reception by the general public. Such 
stations will not be permitted to establish a point-to-point television 
relay system.

[ 28 FR 13722 , Dec. 14, 1963, as amended at  43 FR 1951 , Jan. 13, 1978;  47 FR 21499 , May 18, 1982;  47 FR 40172 , Sept. 13, 1982;  48 FR 21487 , May 
12, 1983;  52 FR 31404 , Aug. 20, 1987]