The Antenna Structure Registration program allows the FCC to fulfill its statutory duty to require the painting and lighting of antenna structures that may pose a hazard to air navigation. We accomplish this vital task by requiring owners of antenna structures that meet the criteria for notification to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to register with the FCC. Upon registration, and based on the recommendation of the FAA, the FCC will require the structure to be painted and lighted as necessary to make it conspicuous to aircraft. Not all structures require registration - only those that meet the "Registration Criteria" outlined below. Additionally, not all registered structures are assigned painting and lighting.
Regardless of who determines that registration is required, the owner is responsible for ensuring that all the information being provided is correct.
Most antenna structures that are taller than 60.96 meters (200 feet) above ground level or that may interfere with the flight path of a nearby airport must be cleared by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and registered with the FCC.
Unless specifically exempted, FAA notification and FCC registration are required for:
The following types of antenna structures are exempt from the FAA notification requirements and FCC registration requirements:
Antenna structures mounted on man-made structures:
NOTE: In order to simplify this example, we have assumed that the antenna structures are far from an airport. The same principles, however, hold true when substituting the "imaginary surface" for the 60.96 meter (200 foot) line shown in the example.
(A) and (B) -- Registration is not required. Neither of these antenna structures exceeds 60.96 meters (200 feet) above ground.
(C) -- Registration is not required. Although the tip of the structure is more than 60.96 meters (200 feet) above ground, the structure meets the 6.1 meter (20 foot) exception.
(D) -- Registration IS REQUIRED. Although the structure itself does not exceed 6.1 meters (20 feet) above the building, the tip of the antenna mounted on the structure exceeds 6.1 meters (20 feet) above the building.
(E) -- Registration IS REQUIRED. The structure clearly exceeds 6.1 meters (20 feet) above the building.
(F) -- Registration is not required. Although the antenna structure causes the overall height of the building to exceed 60.96 meters (200 feet) above ground, the antenna structure meets the 6.1 meter (20 foot exception). (Note -- the building owner would be responsible for notifying the FAA concerning the overall height of the building. This action would not affect the antenna structure.)
Free-standing antenna structures:
NOTE: In order to simplify this example, we have assumed that the antenna structures are far from an airport.The same principles, however, hold true when substituting the "imaginary surface" for the 60.96 meter (200 foot) line shown in the example.
(G) -- Registration is not required. The structure does not exceed 60.96 meters (200 feet) above ground.
(H) -- Registration IS REQUIRED. Although the structure itself does not exceed 60.96 meters (200 feet) above ground, the antenna mounted on the top causes the overall height of the structure to exceed 60.96 meters (200 feet).
(I) -- Registration IS REQUIRED. The structure clearly exceeds 60.96 meters (200 feet) above ground.
The following airports are "specified airports" for purposes of determining whether an antenna structure meets the registration criteria:
To determine whether a structure penetrates the imaginary line extending outward and upward from the nearest point of the nearest airport runway, you may use the FCC's on-line Landing Facility Slope Calculation program (TOWAIR).
TOWAIR, which uses FAA-supplied airport data, may be queried based on a specific set of coordinates, elevation and overall height criteria. When reviewing licensing applications to determine whether a proposed site is located on a structure that requires registration, the FCC will use the TOWAIR calculations. Therefore, if TOWAIR indicates that registration is required but you believe otherwise, you should be prepared to submit appropriate documentation in conjunction with any licensing activity at the site. Alternately, you may wish to register the structure in question.
If a structure is shielded beyond all reasonable doubt by other structures, registration is not required. In the event that one of the structures that originally shielded the antenna structure is removed, the antenna structure's owner must register the structure if it meets the notice criteria and shielding is no longer valid.
If there is any doubt as to whether the exception applies, an owner should register its structure.
In the case of structures that are "shielded" and do not require FAA notification or Commission registration, FCC rules require applicants to submit a showing to that effect. An owner claiming shielding does not need to submit any information as part of the Antenna Structure Registration program, but instead should be prepared to supply information sufficient to establish whether FAA notification and Commission registration is required, if so requested by the Commission.
Because the FCC does not have a means to provide for automated evaluation of shielding claims, applicants for station licenses may be asked by a Bureau's licensing staff to make a showing that shielding applies for the structure upon which they intend to site.
Each applicable antenna structure within an AM broadcast array must be registered individually with the FCC. In most cases, however, antenna structure arrays are studied by the FAA using a single set of coordinates representing the "center" of the array, or possibly the structure closest to a nearby airport facility. Thus, the coordinates referenced by the FAA in its "determination" for an array may differ from the site coordinates of the antenna structures within the array. Often, antenna structures within the same array are assigned different painting and/or lighting specifications.
All new or altered antenna structures meeting the registration criteria must be registered with the Commission prior to construction or alteration. All antenna structures meeting the registration criteria must first have been studied by the FAA before being registered with the Commission.
"Existing structures" (those studied by the FAA and cleared by the FCC prior to July 1, 1996) were required to have been registered during the two year period between July 1, 1996 and June 30, 1998. Owners of existing structures that are unregistered but that meet the registration criteria are not in compliance with FCC regulations and must register their structures immediately.
A structure is not registered unless it has a valid seven-digit FCC Registration Number. Six-digit "Tower Numbers" pre-date the ASR program and are invalid.
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