
From the U.S. Code Online via GPO Access
[wais.access.gpo.gov]
[Laws in effect as of January 23, 2000]
[Document not affected by Public Laws enacted between
  January 23, 2000 and December 4, 2001]
[CITE: 47USC307]

 
          TITLE 47--TELEGRAPHS, TELEPHONES, AND RADIOTELEGRAPHS
 
                 CHAPTER 5--WIRE OR RADIO COMMUNICATION
 
          SUBCHAPTER III--SPECIAL PROVISIONS RELATING TO RADIO
 
                       Part I--General Provisions
 
Sec. 307. Licenses


(a) Grant

    The Commission, if public convenience, interest, or necessity will 
be served thereby, subject to the limitations of this chapter, shall 
grant to any applicant therefor a station license provided for by this 
chapter.

(b) Allocation of facilities

    In considering applications for licenses, and modifications and 
renewals thereof, when and insofar as there is demand for the same, the 
Commission shall make such distribution of licenses, frequencies, hours 
of operation, and of power among the several States and communities as 
to provide a fair, efficient, and equitable distribution of radio 
service to each of the same.

(c) Terms of licenses

                  (1) Initial and renewal licenses

        Each license granted for the operation of a broadcasting station 
    shall be for a term of not to exceed 8 years. Upon application 
    therefor, a renewal of such license may be granted from time to time 
    for a term of not to exceed 8 years from the date of expiration of 
    the preceding license, if the Commission finds that public interest, 
    convenience, and necessity would be served thereby. Consistent with 
    the foregoing provisions of this subsection, the Commission may by 
    rule prescribe the period or periods for which licenses shall be 
    granted and renewed for particular classes of stations, but the 
    Commission may not adopt or follow any rule which would preclude it, 
    in any case involving a station of a particular class, from granting 
    or renewing a license for a shorter period than that prescribed for 
    stations of such class if, in its judgment, the public interest, 
    convenience, or necessity would be served by such action.

                    (2) Materials in application

        In order to expedite action on applications for renewal of 
    broadcasting station licenses and in order to avoid needless expense 
    to applicants for such renewals, the Commission shall not require 
    any such applicant to file any information which previously has been 
    furnished to the Commission or which is not directly material to the 
    considerations that affect the granting or denial of such 
    application, but the Commission may require any new or additional 
    facts it deems necessary to make its findings.

                  (3) Continuation pending decision

        Pending any hearing and final decision on such an application 
    and the disposition of any petition for rehearing pursuant to 
    section 405 of this title, the Commission shall continue such 
    license in effect.

(d) Renewals

    No renewal of an existing station license in the broadcast or the 
common carrier services shall be granted more than thirty days prior to 
the expiration of the original license.

(e) Operation of certain radio stations without individual licenses

    (1) Notwithstanding any license requirement established in this 
chapter, if the Commission determines that such authorization serves the 
public interest, convenience, and necessity, the Commission may by rule 
authorize the operation of radio stations without individual licenses in 
the following radio services: (A) the citizens band radio service; (B) 
the radio control service; (C) the aviation radio service for aircraft 
stations operated on domestic flights when such aircraft are not 
otherwise required to carry a radio station; and (D) the maritime radio 
service for ship stations navigated on domestic voyages when such ships 
are not otherwise required to carry a radio station.
    (2) Any radio station operator who is authorized by the Commission 
to operate without an individual license shall comply with all other 
provisions of this chapter and with rules prescribed by the Commission 
under this chapter.
    (3) For purposes of this subsection, the terms ``citizens band radio 
service'', ``radio control service'', ``aircraft station'' and ``ship 
station'' shall have the meanings given them by the Commission by rule.

(June 19, 1934, ch. 652, title III, Sec. 307, 48 Stat. 1083; June 5, 
1936, ch. 511, Sec. 2, 49 Stat. 1475; July 16, 1952, ch. 879, Sec. 5, 66 
Stat. 714; Pub. L. 86-752, Sec. 3, Sept. 13, 1960, 74 Stat. 889; Pub. L. 
87-439, Apr. 27, 1962, 76 Stat. 58; Pub. L. 97-35, title XII, 
Sec. 1241(a), Aug. 13, 1981, 95 Stat. 736; Pub. L. 97-259, title I, 
Secs. 112, 113(a), Sept. 13, 1982, 96 Stat. 1093; Pub. L. 104-104, title 
II, Sec. 203, title IV, Sec. 403(i), Feb. 8, 1996, 110 Stat. 112, 131.)


                               Amendments

    1996--Subsec. (c). Pub. L. 104-104, Sec. 203, inserted heading and 
amended text generally, restructuring existing provisions into pars. (1) 
to (3) and substituting provisions providing 8 year term for licenses of 
broadcasting stations for provisions providing 5 year term for licenses 
of television broadcasting stations, 7 year term for licenses of radio 
broadcasting stations, and 10 year term for other broadcasting stations.
    Subsec. (e). Pub. L. 104-104, Sec. 403(i), amended subsec. (e) 
generally. Prior to amendment, subsec. (e) read as follows:
    ``(1) Notwithstanding any licensing requirement established in this 
chapter, the Commission may by rule authorize the operation of radio 
stations without individual licenses in the radio control service and 
the citizens band radio service if the Commission determines that such 
authorization serves the public interest, convenience, and necessity.
    ``(2) Any radio station operator who is authorized by the Commission 
under paragraph (1) to operate without an individual license shall 
comply with all other provisions of this chapter and with rules 
prescribed by the Commission under this chapter.
    ``(3) For purposes of this subsection, the terms `radio control 
service' and `citizens band radio service' shall have the meanings given 
them by the Commission by rule.''
    1982--Subsec. (c). Pub. L. 97-259, Sec. 112, redesignated subsec. 
(d) as (c), substituted ``ten years'' for ``five years'' after 
``station) shall be for a longer term than'' and ``term of not to 
exceed'', and inserted provision that the term of any license for the 
operation of any auxiliary broadcast station or equipment which can be 
used only in conjunction with a primary radio, television, or translator 
station shall be concurrent with the term of the license for such 
primary radio, television, or translator station. Former subsec. (c), 
which required the Commission to study proposal that Congress allocate 
fixed percentages of radio broadcasting facilities to nonprofit 
activities and report recommendations, with reasons, to Congress not 
later than Feb. 1, 1935, was struck out.
    Subsec. (d). Pub. L. 97-259, Sec. 112(a), redesignated subsec. (e) 
as (d). Former subsec. (d) redesignated (c).
    Subsec. (e). Pub. L. 97-259, Secs. 112(a), 113(a), added subsec. (e) 
and redesignated former subsec. (e) as (d).
    1981--Subsec. (d). Pub. L. 97-35 substituted provisions authorizing 
term of five years for a television broadcasting station license, seven 
years for a radio broadcasting station license, and five years for any 
other class of license, with comparable provisions for renewal, for 
provisions authorizing term of three years for a broadcasting station 
license, and five years for any other class of station license, with 
comparable provisions for renewal.
    1962--Subsec. (e). Pub. L. 87-439 inserted ``in the broadcast or the 
common carrier services'' before ``shall be granted''.
    1960--Subsec. (d). Pub. L. 86-752 inserted last sentence dealing 
with the Commission's authority to grant licenses for periods shorter 
than 3 years.
    1952--Subsec. (d). Act July 16, 1952, provided that upon the 
expiration of any license, any renewal applied for may be granted ``if 
the Commission finds that public interest, convenience, and necessity 
would be served thereby'', and provided that pending a hearing and final 
decision on an application for renewal and the disposition of any 
petition for a rehearing the Commission shall continue the license in 
effect.
    1936--Subsec. (b). Act June 5, 1936, amended subsec. (b) generally.


                    Effective Date of 1981 Amendment

    Section 1241(b) of Pub. L. 97-35 provided that: ``The amendments 
made in subsection (a) [amending this section] shall apply to television 
and radio broadcasting licenses granted or renewed by the Federal 
Communications Commission after the date of the enactment of this Act 
[Aug. 13, 1981].''

                  Section Referred to in Other Sections

    This section is referred to in sections 303, 309, 331, 503 of this 
title.
