(a) License grants--auctionable license applications. Procedures for grant of licenses that are subject to competitive bidding under section 309(j) of the Communications Act are set forth in Secs. 1.2108 and 1.2109 of this part.
(b) License grants--non-auctionable license applications. No application that is not subject to competitive bidding under Sec. 309(j) of the Communications Act will be granted by the Commission prior to the 31st day following the issuance of a Public Notice of the acceptance for filing of such application or of any substantial amendment thereof, unless the application is not subject to Sec. 309(b) of the Communications Act.
(c) Grant without hearing. In the case of both auctionable license applications and non-mutually exclusive non-auctionable license applications, the Commission will grant the application without a hearing if it is proper upon its face and if the Commission finds from an examination of such application and supporting data, any pleading filed, or other matters which it may officially notice, that:
(1) There are no substantial and material questions of fact;
(2) The applicant is legally, technically, financially, and otherwise qualified;
(3) A grant of the application would not involve modification, revocation, or non-renewal of any other existing license;
(4) A grant of the application would not preclude the grant of any mutually exclusive application; and
(5) A grant of the application would serve the public interest, convenience, and necessity.
(d) Grant of petitioned applications. The FCC may grant, without a formal hearing, an application against which petition(s) to deny have been filed. If any petition(s) to deny are pending (i.e., have not been dismissed or withdrawn by the petitioner) when an application is granted, the FCC will deny the petition(s) and issue a concise statement of the reason(s) for the denial, disposing of all substantive issues raised in the petitions.
(e) Partial and conditional grants. The FCC may grant applications in part, and/or subject to conditions other than those normally applied to authorizations of the same type. When the FCC does this, it will inform the applicant of the reasons therefor. Such partial or conditional grants are final unless the FCC revises its action in response to a petition for reconsideration. Such petitions for reconsideration must be filed by the applicant within thirty days after the date of the letter or order stating the reasons for the partial or conditional grant, and must reject the partial or conditional grant and return the instrument of authorization.
(f) Designation for hearing. If the Commission is unable to make the findings prescribed in subparagraph (c), it will formally designate the application for hearing on the grounds or reasons then obtaining and will notify the applicant and all other known parties in interest of such action.
(1) Orders designating applications for hearing will specify with particularity the matters in issue.
(2) Parties in interest, if any, who are not notified by the Commission of its action in designating a particular application for hearing may acquire the status of a party to the proceeding by filing a petition for intervention showing the basis of their interest not more than 30 days after publication in the Federal Register of the hearing issues or any substantial amendment thereto.
(3) The applicant and all other parties in interest shall be permitted to participate in any hearing subsequently held upon such applications. Hearings may be conducted by the Commission or by the Chief of the Wireless Telecommunications Bureau, or, in the case of a question which requires oral testimony for its resolution, an Administrative Law Judge. The burden of proceeding with the introduction of evidence and burden of proof shall be upon the applicant, except that with respect to any issue presented by a petition to deny or a petition to enlarge the issues, such burdens shall be as determined by the Commission or the Chief of the Wireless Telecommunications Bureau. [63 FR 68932, Dec. 14, 1998]