Public TV Granted Ability To Raise Money For Katrina Relief

The FCC has granted a waiver to public broadcasters to allow them to raise money for hurricane relief. “In general, noncommercial stations are prohibited from engaging in fundraising activities on behalf of any entity other than the licensee where such activities substantially alter or suspend regular programming. However, the Commission has granted one-time waivers of its policy to permit noncommercial television stations to raise funds for local disaster relief in the wake of ‘extraordinary, widespread and catastrophic nature of the events precipitating the fundraising program’.”