FCC Grants APTS Emergency Petition for Waiver to Allow for Hurricane Relief Fundraising on Local Public Television Stations

In the wake of the catastrophic impact of Hurricane Katrina in the southern states, local public television stations are eager to do their part to assist with relief. The Federal Communications Commission's Media Bureau approved the petition filed by the Association of Public Television Stations to allow public television stations throughout the nation to perform limited hurricane relief fundraising that may interrupt regular programming.

In general, noncommercial stations are prohibited from engaging in fundraising activities on behalf of any entity other than the licensee where such activities substantially alter or suspend regular programming. However, the Commission has granted one-time waivers of its policy to permit noncommercial television stations to raise funds for local disaster relief in the wake of "extraordinary, widespread and catastrophic nature of the events precipitating the fundraising program."

A number of public television stations are interested in conducting limited fundraising drives on air that may interrupt regular programming in order to provide relief for the southern states affected by Hurricane Katrina. The fundraising events may be in the form of benefit concerts, telethons, or other special programming designed to bring immediate and substantial relief to the stricken areas.

The FCC approved the APTS request for a blanket waiver applicable to all public television stations that may be ready to engage in this kind of fundraising. For more information of the blanket waiver petition, please contact Kristin Wilson, Communications Associate, at (202) 654-4222.