5Noncommercial Broadcasting

Todd D. Gray

A. General Overview

In 1945, as part of its structuring the present FM allocation plan, the Federal Communications Commissions (FCC/Commission) reserved the first 20 channels of the FM band for noncommercial educational broadcasting. From time to time thereafter, the Commission also reserved certain channels in the otherwise nonreserved portion of the FM band for noncommercial use. In 1952, the Commission also reserved 242 television channels in various communities for noncommercial educational use. There are no particular noncommercial allocations or reservations in the AM service, although AM stations are not precluded from operating on a noncommercial basis.

For those FM and TV channels that are reserved ...

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