MARCH NEWSLETTER

Vol. VII, No. 3 - March 2000

Low Power FM

As we reported last month, the Commission has approved the implementation of a new low power FM service; LP100 which can operate with a power of 100 watts at a height above average terrain of 30 meters and LP10 with a maximum power of 10 watts at a height above average terrain not to exceed 30 meters. The FCC Order indicated they expected to open a filing window of LP100 stations in May. The stations must be operated as non-commercial facilities, but will be allowed to operate within the entire FM band (88.1 to 107.9 MHz).

To date, there has been no additional notice announcing upcoming windows. The finality of the LPFM rules is expected April 17, 2000. In the interim, there have been numerous filings made with the Commission regarding LPFM. One of the original petitioners, Roger Skinner, has filed a request for reconsideration on the final rules, potentially delaying final implementation. Skinner has requested commercial service, as well as non-commercial service, for LPFM and wants the 1000 watt LPFM station added back into the rules. It is also our understanding that the NAB has bypassed the Commission reconsideration process and gone directly to the U.S. Court of Appeals. Congressional action overturning the LPFM rules may also be seen in the future. I guess we will have to wait and see what transpires.

Hearing The Coins Fall?

The NAB Radio/Television Convention is less than a month away. Last year LPFM was a hot topic among the attendees and will likely be again this year. There will most likely be several LPFM equipment packages displayed, in addition to the latest "toys" for the broadcaster of today. If you or someone with your company will be attending, we welcome the opportunity to meet with you whether to simply put a face to a name or discuss any upcoming engineering matters you might foresee. Let us know if you would like to schedule a meeting. We'll see you in Las Vegas!

Non-Commercial TV Stations Move To DTV

May 1, 2000, is the deadline for non-commercial TV stations that received a paired DTV channel to submit their applications for construction permits for the DTV facilities. It is also the deadline to submit maximization requests to previously filed commercial DTV stations, if they have not already done so. Requests must demonstrate that other DTV and NTSC stations do not receive more than 2% additional interference from the proposed stations. Some commercial stations missed the filing deadline last November for their DTV permit and have been given permission to file by May 1, 2000.

In a Public Notice, the FCC has extended the filing window for existing NTSC applicants to submit Petitions to change their channel if they are conflicting with a DTV channel from March 17 to July 15, 2000.

What They Must Know

A new FM station was recently fined $16,000 for EAS issues, failure to display the FCC tower registration number on the tower, failure to designate a Chief Operator and have that person check the station logs on a weekly basis and be able to shut down the transmitter within three minutes. While the station had only been on the air a short time, this did not cause the FCC to reduce the fine. A brief discussion with your local staff may be in order. Do they know how to operate the EAS system and are the required tests being made? Are you keeping a log? Does the staff know how to turn the transmitter on and off? Do they know where the remote control is? Is the designation of Chief Operator posted and is he/she reviewing the logs on a weekly basis? Is your tower registration number posted at or near the tower and is it visible to anyone who may approach the site? Has the tower been registered properly? This might be a good time to make sure your station is "up to par" on these issues.