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Graham Brock, Inc. |
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Broadcast Technical Consultants |
| Vol. XIV, No. 4 |
R. Stuart Graham, Jr. |
| April 2007 |
Jefferson G. Brock |
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HD Radio Processes Changed |
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During its March meeting, the Commission adopted several
procedural changes for AM and FM stations to implement
digital radio operation. The FCC announced that it will
allow AM stations to commence operation at night with
digital facilities; it will allow the use of expanded
digital operation, HD-2, HD-3, etc., at its discretion;
it will allow stations to broker unused digital
bandwidth to third parties; and it applies existing
programming and regulatory requirements to all free
digital programming. In addition, the Commission is
seeking further comment on possible subscription
services that can be implemented in the digital domain
and whether new public service interest issues are
necessary for digital broadcasters. The FCC did refrain
from any mandatory conversion schedule for commencement
of digital operations for radio stations. |
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More Non-Commercial Stations are Coming |
After nearly ten years (for some applicants), the
Commission has selected seventy-six FM
non-commercial applications for which it will grant
permits for new facilities. These applicants were
selected through a point system. The selected
applications will now be subjected to a thirty day
petition to deny period, before the Commission will
grant permits for these new facilities.
Additionally, the FCC has announced a filing window
for new non-commercial requests. The window will
open on October 12, 2007 and close on October 19,
2007. Mutually exclusive applications will be
awarded through the point system. The Commission has
noted there are approximately 180 pending
applications for new or major changes that have
never been the subject of any cut-off public notice.
These applicants will have to electronically file
amendments during the October filing window in order
to be considered. If these applicants fail to amend
the applications during the window, the applications
will be dismissed.
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Existing Non-Commercial Radio Stations Change of
Community of License |
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The FCC will now accept a non-commercial radio
station’s change of community of license on the
new FCC Form 340. The rules the Commission
adopted went into effect January 19, 2007 and
allowed existing stations (and permittees) to
change community of license by application, but
non-commercial stations could not propose the
change until the revised FCC Form 340 was
issued, and a Public Notice was released. The
new forms became available in late March, and
the FCC issued a Public Notice on March 28,
2007, indicating the availability of the new
forms, thus allowing stations to propose city of
license changes for non-commercial facilities. |
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The auction of more than 100 FM channels was
concluded at the end of March, and the FCC
(Federal Government) should collect more than
$21,000,000. The winners of the auction have
until May 2, 2007 to submit applications for
their respective new stations. The highest
amount to be bid was $1,689,000 for a Class C3
channel in Aguila, Arizona. |
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