November 30 2012, 10:30 AM – 12:00 PM EST
Room TW-C305, 445 12th Street S.W., Washington, DC
November 30 2012, 10:30 AM – 12:00 PM EST
Room TW-C305, 445 12th Street S.W., Washington, DC
Chairman Genachowski announced that the following item will be on the tentative agenda for the next open meeting scheduled for Friday, November 30, 2012:
Expanding Nationwide Low Power Radio Opportunities Fifth Order on Reconsideration and Sixth Report and Order
The Commission will consider a Fifth Order on Reconsideration and Sixth Report and Order, which address the final procedures to approve more than 6,000 pending FM translator radio applications and implementation of the Local Community Radio Act. The consideration of these items will represent the final steps toward enabling non-profit groups nationwide to apply for low power radio licenses to further expand the diversity of local voices in the media landscape.
I have an active application for an LPFM in the Commission database and have retained counsel and engineering to help navigate whatever lies ahead in the low power FM service.
Sold To…..
Unfortunately nothing is on the agenda to get rid of this real estate auctioning of the spectrum.
Don’t want to dampen hopes but engineering and counsel isn’t going to be the only things you will need.
$$$$$$$$$$$
RFB
Good Luck, Radioboy!!
Bruce, W 60 HZ, X-13
Plan for time
FCC resolution of the conflict between commercial FM translators and new LPFM Community Radio station mandates is still a difficult and bumpy road.
We would already have seen a new LPFM station application window if it weren’t for those thousands of translator applications already in existence.
AFAIK, FCC is not accepting LPFM Construction Permit applications. I.e., there is no open filing window at this time. You will get a notice to that effect at some point, I’m quite sure.
Further, an individual cannot legally own an LPFM station, it can only be owned by a group. It can be as small as a partnership or a small board.
What you want to do now is all the legwork, station search, assembling your people, getting engineering data, etc., in preparation for if and when a filing window opens. I can guarantee lots of competition as others started doing this over a year ago anticipating the new law. Hopefully there will still be dial space in your community.
ITMT, get with The Prometheus Radio Project:
http://www.prometheusradio.org/
(these are the people who pushed the new law through the legislature an who have helped 1000’s of stations get on the air under the old regs) and join the Stubblefield group email list:
http://lists.prometheusradio.org/listinfo.cgi/stubblefield-prometheusradio.org
I wish you all the best!!
Thanks, Ken..
..for the LPFM suggestions.
I do know that one thing the FCC will clamp down on is “newcomer” nonprofits that are formed
right before the filing time. Any applicant with a nonprofit less than two years old will be dismissed this time around. Mine was founded in April of 2001, and we have remained locally active in a number of things and have helped with promotions of numerous events, charities and such.
The Prometheus folks know me. I am being represented by John Broomall of Christian Community Broadcasters. While mine will not be a Christian-formatted-station per se, he is quite familiar with the local market and helped the one LPFM we ever have had to beat some stiff competitors. That LPFM has been helpful to me and gave me a tour, engineering suggestions, and such.
With the exception of the Section V engineering portion, my (nonprofit’s name is Delta Star Radio of Florida Inc.) LPFM application is in the FCC database, awaiting them to decide the rules and all the other whatnots they think they have to do.
There are several frequencies that CAN work but it depends on what the FCC allows and doesn’t allow. In any case, I was sent to the beach when a satellite receiver took away the job I used to have. So the LPFM is something I’d like to do, but it’s not the end of the world if it doesn’t happen.