(a) Upon completion of construction of an international broadcasting station in accordance with the terms of the construction permit, the technical provisions of the application therefor, and the rules and regulations and the applicable engineering standards, and when an application for station license has been filed showing the station to be in satisfactory operating condition, the permittee may request authority to conduct program tests. Such request shall be electronically filed with the FCC in the International Communications Filing System (ICFS) at least 10 days prior to the date on which it is desired to begin such operation. All data necessary to show compliance with the terms and conditions of the construction permit must be filed with the license application.

(b) Program tests shall not commence until specific Commission authority is received. The Commission reserves the right to change the date of the beginning of such tests or to suspend or revoke the authority for program tests as and when such action may appear to be in the public interest, convenience, and necessity.

(c) Unless sooner suspended or revoked, program test authority continues valid during Commission consideration of the application for license and during this period further extension of the construction permit is not required. Program test authority shall be automatically terminated by final determination upon the application for station license.

(d) All operation under program test authority shall be in strict compliance with the rules governing international broadcasting stations and in strict accordance with representations made in the application for license pursuant to which the tests were authorized.

(e) The granting of program test authority shall not be construed as approval by the Commission of the application for station license.

[38 FR 18894, July 16, 1973, as amended at 47 FR 40174, Sept. 13, 1982; 86 FR 54401, Oct. 1, 2021; 88 FR 21447, Apr. 10, 2023]