While it’s admirable that the FCC freely granted waivers for...
While it’s admirable that the FCC freely granted waivers for disasters and emergencies, “these do not exhaust the other worthy public causes that could potentially be advanced through the broadcast medium of non-commercial stations,” the National Religious Broadcasters association said…
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in comments in docket 12-106 (http://xrl.us/bng3b3). Comments on proposed changes to the process of obtaining a waiver for non-commercial educational stations to conduct on-air fundraising for third parties are due July 23. Where a non-commercial station raises funds for a for-profit organization, “this may indicate that the fundraising effort lacks a broad public interest,” NRB said. The problem disappears where the activities seek to benefit a worthy non-profit cause, it said. “Non-commercial licensees should rely on their own fund-raising appeals to cover the expenses of their own operations.” NRB proposed that all non-commercial broadcasters be exempted from restrictions on conducting fundraising activities for other organizations which are non-profit under Section 501(c) of the U.S. Internal Revenue Code provided that “such activities do not alter or suspend more than one percent of the broadcaster’s total program airtime annually.” The fundraising activities exempted shall be directed to an identified, bona fide charitable, educational or religious need which the nonprofit’s equipped and committed to aid, the association said. The station “during such exempt fundraising activities” should “fairly inform its audience of the nature and extent of the need, its possible causes, and the benefits likely to result from public financial support,” NRB said. “Nothing in this provision shall affect the ability of the commission to grant waivers to non-commercial broadcasters."