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Graham Brock, Inc. |
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Broadcast Technical Consultants |
| Vol. XIII, No. 7 |
R. Stuart Graham, Jr. |
| July 2006 |
Jefferson G. Brock |
As with the FCC, the FAA has initiated a Petition
for Rule Making which seeks comments on proposed changes
to its rules governing notifications for towers.
Specifically, the FAA is concerned about the potential
for electromagnetic interference (“EMI”) to nearby FAA
facilities from transmission sources on towers. The
services of concern are FM broadcasters, TV broadcasters
operating on Channel 2, Channel 5 and Channels 7 through
13, as well as some government and military air traffic
frequencies. The FAA is proposing to require
notification if the original determination contained
specific frequency or power levels for any frequency
that would be altered, including any increase of power
of 3 dB (doubling) or more or the addition of any new
frequency.
The FAA is also proposing notification of frequencies of
towers near private airports or heliports that have any
FAA approved approach procedures. The purpose is to also
evaluate the potential EMI impacts to these facilities
due to radio frequencies on the proposed structure. The
FAA is also proposing to change the height of structures
considered to be obstructions from 500 feet to 499 feet
above ground. Towers at 500 feet would be studied to
determine their affect on the airspace. Comments on the
FAA proposal are to be filed by September 11, 2006. You
should consider participating since this will affect the
mounting of new antenna systems on existing towers. |
| Ownership Changes....Round Two |
| The FCC has issued a news release indicating it
is now proceeding with a re-evaluation of its
ownership rules based on the U.S. Court of Appeals
for the Third Circuit, remanding the Commission’s
June 2003 rules. The Further Notice will seek
comments on local TV ownership limits, radio
ownership limits, newspaper/broadcast cross
ownership and radio/TV cross ownership limits, among
other matters. As part of the process, the FCC will
also conduct six public hearings around the country;
however, dates and locations are not yet known. The
comment cycle will be 120 days, rather than the
normal 60 days. |
| AM Major Change Applicant
Proposed Removal of Sole Service |
| The licensee of an existing AM station
submitted a major change application in the 2004
AM window seeking to change its community of
license, which is not an unusual occurrence. The
request was not mutually exclusive with any
other filing; therefore, the licensee was
directed to file the complete application for
permit. The proposed new community had another
station licensed to it; thus, the AM station
would be a second service. The major change
applicant was the sole licensee of the original
community. If implemented would leave its
existing community without any service. The FCC
reviewed the proposal and concluded that the
removal of the sole operating service was not in
the public interest and dismissed the
application. This is perhaps a foreshadowing of
the new change of community rules. |
| Dallas Bound in September |
| Stu and Jeff will be going to Dallas in
September for the NAB Fall Radio Show (September
20-22). If you or someone with your organization
would like to discuss an engineering matter, or
just say hello, let them know. |
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