
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: 47USC331]

 
          TITLE 47--TELEGRAPHS, TELEPHONES, AND RADIOTELEGRAPHS
 
                 CHAPTER 5--WIRE OR RADIO COMMUNICATION
 
          SUBCHAPTER III--SPECIAL PROVISIONS RELATING TO RADIO
 
                       Part I--General Provisions
 
Sec. 331. Very high frequency stations and AM radio stations


(a) Very high frequency stations

    It shall be the policy of the Federal Communications Commission to 
allocate channels for very high frequency commercial television 
broadcasting in a manner which ensures that not less than one such 
channel shall be allocated to each State, if technically feasible. In 
any case in which licensee of a very high frequency commercial 
television broadcast station notifies the Commission to the effect that 
such licensee will agree to the reallocation of its channel to a 
community within a State in which there is allocated no very high 
frequency commercial television broadcast channel at the time \1\ such 
notification, the Commission shall, notwithstanding any other provision 
of law, order such reallocation and issue a license to such licensee for 
that purpose pursuant to such notification for a term of not to exceed 5 
years as provided in section 307(d) \2\ of this title.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    \1\ So in original. Probably should be followed by ``of''.
    \2\ See References in Text note below.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

(b) AM radio stations

    It shall be the policy of the Commission, in any case in which the 
licensee of an existing AM daytime-only station located in a community 
with a population of more than 100,000 persons that lacks a local full-
time aural station licensed to that community and that is located within 
a Class I station primary service area notifies the Commission that such 
licensee seeks to provide full-time service, to ensure that such a 
licensee is able to place a principal community contour signal over its 
entire community of license 24 hours a day, if technically feasible. The 
Commission shall report to the appropriate committees of Congress within 
30 days after December 20, 1991, on how it intends to meet this policy 
goal.

(June 19, 1934, ch. 652, title III, Sec. 331, as added Pub. L. 97-248, 
title III, Sec. 355, Sept. 3, 1982, 96 Stat. 641; amended Pub. L. 102-
243, Sec. 4, Dec. 20, 1991, 105 Stat. 2402; Pub. L. 103-414, title III, 
Sec. 303(a)(18), Oct. 25, 1994, 108 Stat. 4295.)

                       References in Text

    Subsec. (d) of section 307 of this title, referred to in subsec. 
(a), was redesignated subsec. (c) of section 307 by Pub. L. 97-259, 
title I, Sec. 112(a), Sept. 13, 1982, 96 Stat. 1093.

                          Codification

    December 20, 1991, referred to in subsec. (b), was in the original 
``the date of enactment of this Act'', which was translated as meaning 
the date of enactment of Pub. L. 102-243, which enacted subsec. (b), to 
reflect the probable intent of Congress.
    Another section 331 of act June 19, 1934 was renumbered section 332 
and is classified to section 332 of this title.


                            Prior Provisions

    A prior section 331, act June 19, 1934, ch. 652, title III, 
Sec. 331, as added Sept. 14, 1973, Pub. L. 93-107, Sec. 1, 87 Stat. 350, 
related to broadcasting of games of professional sports clubs, prior to 
repeal by Pub. L. 93-107, Sec. 2, Sept. 14, 1973, 87 Stat. 351, 
effective Dec. 31, 1975.


                               Amendments

    1994--Pub. L. 103-414 amended section catchline generally.
    1991--Pub. L. 102-243 inserted ``and AM radio stations'' in section 
catchline, designated existing provisions as subsec. (a) and inserted 
heading, and added subsec. (b).
