---
kind: "section"
citation: "47 U.S.C. § 399b"
title: "47"
title_heading: "Telecommunications"
number: "399b"
heading: "Offering of certain services, facilities, or products by public broadcast station"
release: "119-102"
date: "2026-07-12"
url: "https://uscodex.org/usc/47/399b"
units:
  - "Chapter 5 — Wire or Radio Communication"
  - "Subchapter III — Special Provisions Relating to Radio"
  - "Part IV — Assistance for Planning and Construction of Public Telecommunications Facilities; Telecommunications Demonstrations; Corporation for Public Broadcasting; General Provisions"
  - "Subpart e — general provisions"
---

# §399b. Offering of certain services, facilities, or products by public broadcast station

- (a) **“Advertisement” defined—** For purposes of this section, the term “advertisement” means any message or other programming material which is broadcast or otherwise transmitted in exchange for any remuneration, and which is intended—
  - (1) to promote any service, facility, or product offered by any [person](/usc/47/153.md?p=39) who is engaged in such offering for profit;
  - (2) to express the views of any [person](/usc/47/153.md?p=39) with respect to any matter of public importance or interest; or
  - (3) to support or oppose any candidate for political office.
- (b) **Offering of services, facilities, or products permitted; advertisements prohibited—**
  - (1) Except as provided in [paragraph (2)](#b-2), each [public broadcast station](/usc/47/397.md?p=6) shall be authorized to engage in the offering of services, facilities, or products in exchange for remuneration.
  - (2) No [public broadcast station](/usc/47/397.md?p=6) may make its facilities available to any [person](/usc/47/153.md?p=39) for the [broadcasting](/usc/47/153.md?p=7) of any advertisement.
- (c) **Use of funds from offering services, etc.** Any [public broadcast station](/usc/47/397.md?p=6) which engages in any offering specified in [subsection (b)(1)](#b-1) may not use any funds distributed by the [Corporation](/usc/47/153.md?p=15) under [section 396(k) of this title](/usc/47/396.md?p=k) to defray any costs associated with such offering. Any such offering by a [public broadcast station](/usc/47/397.md?p=6) shall not interfere with the provision of [public telecommunications services](/usc/47/397.md?p=14) by such [station](/usc/47/153.md?p=42).
- (d) **Development of accounting system—** Each [public broadcast station](/usc/47/397.md?p=6) which engages in the activity specified in [subsection (b)(1)](#b-1) shall, in consultation with the [Corporation](/usc/47/153.md?p=15), develop an accounting system which is designed to identify any amounts received as remuneration for, or costs related to, such activities under this section, and to account for such amounts separately from any other amounts received by such [station](/usc/47/153.md?p=42) from any source.

## Source credit

(June 19, 1934, ch. 652, title III, § 399B, as added Pub. L. 97–35, title XII, § 1231, Aug. 13, 1981, 95 Stat. 731.)