Revised Tower Regulations

The FCC has now concluded its proceeding considering whether to tweak its Part 17 tower rules. Some of its rules were a bit archaic, such as the one that referred to a telegraph as a means of communication. Some of the rules were internally inconsistent of the timing of notices. And some of the rules were different from similar FAA rules, creating confusion.

The revised rules clear up those issues, and while they do streamline things, they also change some rules that have been in place for some time. Every broadcaster should review the changes, most of which will go into effect in about another month. For example, the way a tower owner currently posts the antenna structure registration number may need to be changed. And communication with the FAA on tower lighting outages is now more robust.

Tower sites are one of the FCC’s richest sources of monetary forfeitures, and are often the first stop for field agents when they are out and about. If you’ve not received our summary of the rules but would like to, please send an email to admin@hardycarey.com.