NCE Fundraising Requires Waiver for OK Relief

RADIO ONLINE | Tuesday, May 21, 2013 | 4:51pm CT

The FCC generally prohibits noncommercial educational (NCE) stations from engaging in on-air fundraising activities on behalf of any entity other than the station itself. However, the Commission has granted rule waivers for such fundraising appeals to support relief efforts following disasters of historic proportions or magnitude, such as Hurricanes Andrew, Katrina and Sandy, the September 11 terrorist attacks in New York, the January 2005 tsunami in Southeast Asia, and the January 2010 Haiti earthquake. Waivers were issued for a specific fundraising program or programs, or for discrete and limited station appeals for periods which generally do not exceed several days.

The Commission has already received and granted one waiver request related to relief efforts for the devastation caused by the May 20 tornado to and around Moore, OK. The Public Notice provides further information for other NCE stations that wish to solicit funds from viewers or listeners for relief efforts. Licensees may file an informal request or waiver, whichever is appropriate.

Radio licensees may submit an electronic mail request to Peter Doyle (peter.doyle@fcc.gov) and Michael Wagner (michael.wagner@fcc.gov). The request should provide basic details of the fundraising activity, including the nature of the fundraising effort, the proposed duration, the organization(s) to which funds will be donated and whether the fundraiser will be part of the licensee's regularly scheduled pledge drive or fundraising effort.