Waiver Request for Oklahoma Tornado Relief, (06/11/13)
June 11, 2013
To: All Public Television Stations
From: Lonna Thompson, Executive Vice President, Chief Operating Officer & General Counsel, APTS
Ashley Morse, Legal Intern, APTS
Subject: Waiver Request for Oklahoma Tornado Relief
As you know, we filed a request with the FCC to grant a blanket waiver to allow stations to suspend regularly scheduled programming to fundraise for the Oklahoma tornado victims. The FCC felt it could not grant a blanket waiver of that magnitude. They have instead confirmed that stations may do short form fundraising in the breaks between programs with the following stipulations:
· On-air fundraising appeals will be limited to short-form programming broadcast in the breaks between regularly scheduled programming, and therefore will not disrupt regularly scheduled programming.
· On-air fundraising appeals will air between 6:00 a.m. and 11:00 p.m.
· Donations raised by each station will be directed to the American Red Cross or a comparable non-profit organization experienced in providing disaster relief.
