Where Does LPFM Fit Now?
by Leslie Stimson
WASHINGTON It is hard to say how LPFM
will fare under Michael Powell, a Republican who inherited the
low-power program from his Democratic predecessor. Powell has
said it’s unclear whether LPFMs would interfere with existing
stations.
Mass Media Bureau Chief Roy Stewart said it’s
possible the first LPFMs could be licensed within a couple of
months.
Meanwhile, an order passed by the commissioners
in March codifies the changes affecting the new class of low-power
stations that Congress passed at the end of last year.
The order, said a source, "should get the
train moving." The order restores the original third-adjacent
channel spacings to full power stations and FM translators from
the original Notice of Proposed Rule Making and prohibits anyone
who operated an unauthorized station from owning an LPFM.
One source said approximately 30 applications
would be returned because the senders had once operated unauthorized
stations.
The FCC also defined the scope of so-called
minor amendments that may be filed outside a filing window. Technical
amendments are limited to site moves of less than two and one
kilometer for LP100 and LP10 stations, respectively.
In the meantime, the Mass Media Bureau is moving
forward on processing applications and working with the Office
of Engineering Technology on an interference test agenda.
Stewart said about 1,700 total applications
were received in the first three filing windows.
About 650 of those don’t comply with third-adjacent
channel protection requirements and their status remains pending
while the Mass Media Bureau opens a special filing window to allow
those applicants to apply for channel changes. This window would
occur after the fourth and fifth windows are complete, expected
within the next couple of months.
Earlier, the FCC identified about 225 eligible
applications for entities applying for just one station from the
first two filing windows (RW, Jan. 17). It is processing 30 Petitions
to Deny on those, said Stewart.
Congress also directed the commission to have
an independent entity conduct LPFM interference in nine markets.
The tests would determine the impact of LPFMs on existing stations’
third-adjacent channels, FM translators and subcarriers, as well
as on radio’s ability to go digital.
A source said the commission is putting the
test procedures out for open bidding and believes it will take
about $3 million to have the tests conducted and the results analyzed
– all in what may be a 16-month time-frame. He said the FCC
planned to involve one station in each of the nine markets in
the tests.
Congress also said the FCC would need its authority
to relax channel protections in order to fit in more LPFMs, but
the recent order does not address this. A source said the commission
wouldn’t approach Congress about such a change until after
the interference field-tests are complete.
Sources declined to speculate on Powell’s
plans for LPFM, and Powell did not say. One source said there’s
no indication that "just because we have a Republican in
office LPFM will die."
New House Telecom and Internet Subcommittee
Chairman Fred Upton, R-Mich., said he would oppose any legislation
that relaxes interference protection in order to allow more LPFM
stations on the air. He was referring to a bill introduced by
a fellow Republican, Senate Commerce Committee Chairman John McCain
(S. 404), that would negate the LPFM changes Congress passed in
the previous year.
McCain’s bill is similar to one he introduced
in the previous Congress.
"No bill which would slacken safeguards
is going to get by me," said Upton who replaced Rep. Billy
Tauzin, R-La., when the latter became chairman of the House Energy
and Commerce Committee.
