School LPFM Stations and the 36-Hour Rule: Broadcasting Through Summer Vacation

How can a school station meet the 36-hour-a-week requirement when it closes for summer?

As a school closing for summer vacation, you may be concerned about meeting the requirement to broadcast at least 36 hours a week. Under §73.850 of the FCC rules, schools are not required to broadcast on weekends or during periods designated as vacation or recess on the school calendar, so the summer break itself does not put you in violation.

If you would like to stay on the air while the school is closed, there are several ways to do it:

1. Pre-recorded programming: Record educational shows, interviews and other content before the school closes, and schedule them to play when the station would normally be live.
2. Automated playlists: Build playlists of pre-recorded content: educational material, music, public service announcements and more, scheduled across the regular broadcast hours.
3. Community submissions: Invite students, teachers and community members to submit content for the summer: student projects, guest presentations, recordings of school events.
4. Repeat popular shows: Re-air popular shows or segments from earlier in the year.
5. Collaborate with local organizations: Partner with local groups that can provide relevant programming for the vacation period.
6. Informative loops: Run loops of educational content, announcements and updates during the hours live broadcasts would normally occur.

Let your audience know about the adjusted schedule and why. You may not be live during the break, but you can still give listeners valuable, engaging content. Questions about §73.850 or your station's operating requirements? Nexus Broadcast can help.

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