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Graham Brock, Inc. |
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Broadcast Technical Consultants |
| Vol. XIII, No. 8 |
R. Stuart Graham, Jr. |
| August 2006 |
Jefferson G. Brock |
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Ownership Rules - Take Two |
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Last month we reported that the FCC began its inquiry
regarding changes to the Commission’s
broadcast ownership rules. The full details of the
proposals were released in late July. The Commission
reiterated the rules in place, those stayed by the Court
of Appeals, and asked for comments on a gamut of radio,
television and cross-ownership items. All of these
matters are open for comment; the Commission will hold
six public hearings around the country (dates and
locations still pending). You have until September 22,
2006 to submit your comments. Reply comments must be
submitted by November 21, 2006. |
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FM Translators for AM
Stations? |
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A Petition for Rule Making has been submitted asking
the FCC to initiate a proceeding that would allow AM
stations to rebroadcast their signals on FM
translators. The proposal, submitted by the
National Association of Broadcasters, seeks to allow
AM stations to use FM translators to fill in the
stations’ coverage at night, when interference on
the band increases. The proposal will allow
translators to be located anywhere within the
daytime 2.0 mV/m contour of the AM station provided
the translator’s 60 dBu contour does not extend
beyond the contour of the AM, or to a distance of 25
miles from the AM site, whichever is less. The
proposal does not speculate on the availability of
FM frequencies around the country that could be used
for this purpose. Comments in RM-11338 must be
submitted by August 24, 2006. Depending on the
comments received, the FCC could issue a Notice of
Rule Making seeking to implement rule changes to
allow the use of FM translators by AM stations. |
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Numerous TV stations have requested waivers of
the FCC’s
July 2006 deadline for implementation of full
DTV service. The
“use
it or lose it”
deadline has passed, although it had been
extended until July 7, 2006. Stations with
outstanding permits for their respective DTV
stations who did not implement service with
these permits, but stated their intention to do
so in previous filings, have sought a waiver of
the deadline. A similar deadline for stations
in the top markets occurred in July 2005, when
some of those stations also sought waivers.
Many of the earlier requests are still pending.
Does a similar fate await the last round? In
the interim, some stations that did not request
a waiver have filed modifications of permits to
reduce the coverage of their DTV facility. The
lower power modification is usually the same
power authorized under a Special Temporary
Authority (STA). The first two rounds of
digital selection are complete, and the third
round deadline has passed. A final
post-transition channel list is now expected. |
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Fall Approaches,
Time For Annual Regulatory Fees |
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As September approaches, it is once again time
to pay those annual regulatory fees. The fees
have generally been increased. The fee for a
broadcast radio station is based on the
classification of the station, and the
population within its protected contour. Fees
range from $475 to $9,750. The fee for a TV
station is based on VHF or UHF operation and the
market in which the station operates. These
fees range from $1,775 to $64,775. Broadcast
Auxiliary stations (STL’s,
ICR’s RPU’s) are charged at $10 per license. |
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