NAB Broadcasting Regulations & Industry Standards 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Under FCC rules, what is the maximum allowable effective radiated power (ERP) for a full-power FM station in the contiguous 48 states?
- 50,000 watts
- 100,000 watts (Correct answer)
- 500,000 watts
- 1,000,000 watts
Correct answer: 100,000 watts
Full-power FM stations in the contiguous US may not exceed 100,000 watts (100 kW) ERP.
Question 2: Which FCC rule part primarily governs the technical standards for AM broadcast stations?
- Part 15
- Part 73 Subpart A (Correct answer)
- Part 74
- Part 76
Correct answer: Part 73 Subpart A
FCC Part 73 Subpart A contains the technical and operational rules specifically for AM broadcast stations.
Question 3: A broadcaster must file for license renewal how far in advance of the license expiration date?
- 6 months
- 4 months (Correct answer)
- 2 months
- 30 days
Correct answer: 4 months
FCC rules require broadcast stations to file their license renewal application four months before the license expires.
Question 4: What does the term 'blanketing interference' refer to in AM broadcasting?
- Interference caused by multipath propagation at night
- Strong-signal interference to nearby receivers within the 1 V/m contour (Correct answer)
- Co-channel interference at the 0.5 mV/m contour
- Skywave interference during daytime hours
Correct answer: Strong-signal interference to nearby receivers within the 1 V/m contour
Blanketing interference is strong AM signal overload affecting receivers within the 1 V/m contour around the transmitter site.
Question 5: Under FCC rules, which entity is responsible for maintaining a public inspection file for a commercial broadcast station?
- The FCC regional office
- The station licensee (Correct answer)
- The local municipality
- The National Association of Broadcasters
Correct answer: The station licensee
The station licensee is responsible for maintaining the public inspection file, now hosted online via the FCC's OPIF system.
Question 6: What is the FCC's 'main studio rule' requirement for commercial broadcast stations?
- Studios must be located within the station's city of license
- Stations must maintain a main studio within the service contour and be accessible to the public (Correct answer)
- Studios must operate 24 hours a day, 7 days a week
- Studios must employ at least two full-time staff members at all times
Correct answer: Stations must maintain a main studio within the service contour and be accessible to the public
The main studio must be located within the principal community contour and must have full-time managerial and staff presence during normal business hours.
Question 7: Which FCC regulation requires TV stations to provide closed captions for most programming?
- Section 73.3526
- Section 79.1 (Correct answer)
- Section 73.1940
- Section 76.605
Correct answer: Section 79.1
FCC Section 79.1 implements the closed captioning requirements for video programming distributors, including broadcast TV stations.
NAB Broadcasting Regulations & Industry Standards 2
Under FCC rules, what is the maximum allowable effective radiated power (ERP) for a full-power FM station in the contiguous 48 states?