Template:FCC letter/doc

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Usage

Generates a web-link for the United States Federal Communications Commission (FCC) database to retrieve an imported letter, or history cards, of the specified station. These letters are stored as PDF files.

{{FCC letter|letterid=Letter ID|hcards=yes|callsign=Callsign and/or description of letter/document}}

hcards is optional.

Parameters:

  • letterid - The id of the imported letter (required). Please note that the letterid is not the same as the facility ID of the station. On the FCC site, the letter is linked with the following URL, with the letterid as the parameter:
https://licensing.fcc.gov/cgi-bin/prod/cdbs/forms/prod/getimportletter_exh.cgi?import_letter_id=<letterid>
  • hcards - This optional parameter is needed only if the imported letter consists of FCC history cards. When it does, it is set to "yes," which adds the text "FCC History Cards for..." in front of the value of the callsign parameter.
  • callsign - The callsign and/or the description of the imported letter/document (required).

Examples:

Code Result
{{FCC letter|letterid=86435|hcards=yes|callsign=WABC-TV}} FCC History Cards for WABC-TV
{{FCC letter|letterid=65990|hcards=yes|callsign=WOC (covering KICK (1927-1934) & WOC (1934-1980))}} FCC History Cards for WOC (covering KICK (1927-1934) & WOC (1934-1980))
{{FCC letter|letterid=52212|callsign=WCBS-TV license renewal and the Tri-State "Like It Is" Support Coalition}} WCBS-TV license renewal and the Tri-State "Like It Is" Support Coalition

Resource information

The FCC "History Cards" were collections of 5 by 8 inch index cards, maintained for each AM, FM and TV broadcasting station. They were introduced in early 1927, at the time of the establishment of the Federal Radio Commission (FRC), replacing separate card files that had been maintained by the Commerce Department. (Commerce had regulated U.S. radio broadcasting from 1920 to 1927.) The History Cards were stored in large, publicly accessible pull-out trays. They were individually updated using typewriters, and were used until 1980, when they were replaced by the computerized Broadcast Application Processing System (BAPS).

As part of the changeover, the History Cards for active stations were copied to microfiche as reversed monochrome images. Subsequently the FCC converted the microfiche images to PDF files, that were made accessible online.

The original card sets were sorted alphabetically by station call letters, however, the FCC PDF file copies are accessed via a station's Facility ID assigned by the FCC's Consolidated Database System (CDBS).

History Card organization
FCC PDF file version Original card appearance
The first set of cards in an individual station's card deck were "buff" colored. The front of these cards were labeled "Broadcasting Station License Record", and they were used to record basic station data, including current owner information, and transmitter and studio site information.
KDKA FCC History Card (PDF) license record card number 1 (front).jpg
KDKA FCC History Card license record card number 1 (front).jpg
The backs of this first series of cards were labeled "Construction Permit and License Record". Recorded here was chronological summary information about Construction Permits, plus license grants and renewals
KDKA FCC History Card (PDF) license record card number 1 (back).jpg
KDKA FCC History Card license record card number 1 (back).jpg
The second series in an individual station's card deck, which was initially called "Station Application Record" and later "Application Record - Broadcasting", summarized chronologically a station's applications. These cards were white in color.

Although most of the History Card files only include information starting with the 1927 establishment of the Federal Radio Commission, in at least one case, KDKA in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, someone later included information from the earlier Department of Commerce files starting in October 1920.

KDKA FCC History Card (PDF) application record card number 1.jpg
KDKA FCC History Card application record card number 1.jpg
In a small number of cases there was a third series of cards, "Record of Applications Requesting Facilities of Broadcasting Station", which recorded information about competing applications to eliminate a station facilities. These competing application cards were reddish in color.
KYW-KFKX FCC History Card (PDF) competing applications card number 2.jpg
KYW-KFKX FCC History Card competing applications card number 2.jpg

TemplateData

This is the TemplateData documentation for this template used by VisualEditor and other tools; see the monthly parameter usage report for this template.

TemplateData for FCC letter

Template to create links to imported letters in the Federal Communications Commission CDBS database.

Template parameters

ParameterDescriptionTypeStatus
Letter IDletterid

Numerical letter ID in the FCC CDBS database, usually five digits, at the end of the URL.

Numberrequired
History card flaghcards

Displays "FCC History Cards for" if flagged yes. Use if the CDBS letter is a set of History Cards.

Example
yes
Booleanoptional
Call sign or URL textcallsign

Call sign of station or custom URL text.

Stringrequired

See also