PUBLIC NOTICE
Federal Communications Commission
445 12th St., S.W.
Washington, D.C. 20554
News Media Information 202 / 418-0500
Internet: http://www.fcc.gov
TTY: 1-888-835-5322
DA 12-1782
Released:  November 6, 2012
MEDIA BUREAU ANNOUNCES PROCEDURES FOR OBTAINING COMMISSION 
APPROVAL FOR NCE STATION FUNDRAISING TO AID HURRICANE SANDY 
RELIEF EFFORTS
The Commission generally prohibits noncommercial educational stations from engaging
in on-air fundraising activities on behalf of any entity other than the station itself.  See, 47
C.F.R. §§ 73.503(d), 73.621(e).  See also, Commission Policy Concerning the Noncommercial 
Nature of Educational Broadcast Stations, 90 FCC 2d 895, 907 (1982).  The Commission, 
however, has granted rule waivers for such fundraising appeals to support relief efforts following 
disasters of historic proportions or magnitude, such as Hurricanes Andrew and Katrina, the 
September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks in New York City, the January 2005 tsunami in Southeast 
Asia and the January 2010 Haiti earthquake.  These waivers have been issued for a specific 
fundraising program or programs, or for sustained station appeals for periods which generally do 
not exceed several days.  
The Commission has already received and granted two waiver requests related to Hurricane 
Sandy relief efforts, and wishes to provide further information for any other noncommercial 
educational stations that wish to seek expedited review of similar requests.  Licensees seeking to 
solicit contributions from viewers or listeners for relief efforts in light of the recent storm may 
file an informal request for a Section 73.503(d) or 73.621(e) waiver, whichever is appropriate, as 
follows:
1)  The licensee may submit an electronic mail request to Barbara Kreisman
(barbara.kreisman@fcc.gov), if the request involves a television station, or to Peter Doyle 
(peter.doyle@fcc.gov) and Michael Wagner (michael.wagner@fcc.gov), if the request involves a 
radio station.
2) The request should provide basic details of the fundraising activity:
a.  the nature of the fundraising effort;
b.  the proposed duration of the fundraising effort;
c.  the organization(s) to which funds will be donated; and
d. whether the fundraiser will be part of the licensee’s regularly scheduled
pledge drive or fundraising effort.
For additional information, please contact the television or radio contacts provided above.
--FCC--