NAB, NPR, EMF Question FCC Low-Power FM Proposals
NPR, NAB and the Educational Media Foundation (EMF) have concerns about FCC proposals to update technical rules on low-power FM stations, posted through Tuesday in docket 19-193 for Monday’s NPRM comment deadline (see 1907310044). Representatives for LPFM entities such as REC Networks and Prometheus Radio Project said proposals don’t go far enough to relax interference restrictions for LPFM. “20 years is enough time to take the training wheels off and move LPFM forward into the next 20 years,” said REC Networks. “The net effect of enacting these proposals would be more congestion in the already crowded FM band,” NAB said.
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NAB expressed concern about proposals allowing LPFM stations to use directional antennas and make it easier for them to use boosters. “The track record of LPFM compliance with the Commission’s rules does not instill confidence that licensees will take the steps needed to properly deploy directional antennas,” NAB said. The engineering requirements to properly install and align signal boosters and directional antennas to avoid interference with full-power stations are beyond the resources of many LPFM licensees, NAB said. The FCC designed LPFM to be a “simple” service “that new entrants and amateurs could operate,” NAB said. “The expense and expertise associated with properly deploying a directional antenna is beyond this.”
Directional antennas and other FCC proposals would allow LPFM stations to successfully reach more listeners, said Boston: The city's WBCA-LP was created in response to the 2013 Boston Marathon shooting, and FCC plans would allow it to reach farther. Proposed strict engineering requirements for LPFM directional antennas are “overkill for stations of such low power and small footprint,” filed engineers for LPFM groups including Prometheus, Common Frequency and the LPFM Coalition. REC and several LPFM licensees endorsed the FCC’s directional antenna proposal.
NPR and EMF endorsed proposals to sunset rules protecting TV6 low-power TV stations sending signals that can be received by FM radios (see 1907050040). The “fundamental problem” with TV6 -- which NPR calls “Franken FM” -- operations, is “grossly inefficient use” of spectrum, the public radio programmer said. The FCC “cannot permit a single TV6 ‘Franken FM’ station to supplant the many FM radio stations that could be licensed as such instead.” Such stations should be allowed to operate analog signals after LPTV is required to convert to digital in 2021, EMF said.
The FCC should look at a rule gap on LPFM stations that can cause interference in “foothills,” EMF said. When an LPFM is located on a hill or elevation, with full-power stations in a lower area, the low-power signal can travel much farther than current rules intend, EMF said. Reexamine the foothills issue “before it adopts any other technical proposal which could expand technical service by LPFM stations,” EMF said.
Nearly every LPFM-affiliated commenter objected to leaving REC’s “LP-250” proposal out of the NPRM. LP-250 would have allowed LPFM stations to increase their power to 250 watts but was opposed by full-power broadcasters. Leaving it out is “unfortunate,” said the engineers. Reconsider the proposal for areas where the spectrum crowding isn’t as severe, REC Networks said. “The NPRM suggests that nothing has changed since 2012. We disagree, a lot has changed."
Allowing low-powers to increase their levels would “reduce the supposedly ‘hyperlocal’ quality of LPFM service,” NAB said. The FCC “correctly dismissed these requests, and nothing in the record of this proceeding should change its conclusions.”