New FCC Chairman Ajit Pai has been one of the biggest proponents of AM radio. However, former FCC Chairman Wheeler didn’t seem to have the same level of passion for saving the old frequency, so much of what Pai wanted to get done to help AM broadcasters simply fell by the wayside.
On Thursday, the new Chairman started things rolling again with a Notice of Proposed Rule Making that should make AM broadcasters with an FM translator very happy.
In a blog posting, Pai writes: “The FCC is fully committed to giving radio broadcasters a chance to thrive. And this month, we will have an opportunity to build on our successful efforts to revitalize AM radio. Over 1,000 AM stations have taken advantage of recent FCC reforms by obtaining FM translators to grow their audience. At the same time, we have heard from broadcasters that the FCC’s rules make finding a location for these translators unnecessarily challenging. The proposal before the Commission would therefore offer greater flexibility to AM stations in siting their translators. It’s a simple step, but one that would help AM broadcasters build a stronger bridge to the future.”
One Broadcaster who’s been very vocal about this rule change is Finger Lakes Radio Group President Alan Bishop. “The timing of the change is very helpful to those who own small market AM stations. With the rule going into effect before a likely 2017 translator window, it allows smaller operators to find much more advantageous locations for their translators. This allows us to serve rural areas that may not have FM service now. It’s a win for everyone.”
In the rule, the Commission is proposing to relax the current rule where an FM fill-in translator rebroadcasting an AM broadcast station may be sited. Specifically, the Commission is planning to remove the 40-mile limitation on translator siting. Here is the exact wording from the NPRM: “We therefore amend section 74.1201(g) of the rules to provide that an FM translator rebroadcasting an AM broadcast station must be located such that the 60 dBµ contour of the FM translator station must be contained within the greater of either (a) the 2 mV/m daytime contour of the AM station, or (b) a 25-mile radius centered at the AM station’s transmitter site.”
This means the previously proposed 40-mile limitation is gone. An example of the new rule would be if an AM’s 2 mV/m contour goes out 60 miles, then the 60 dBμ of the translator can be located anywhere within that 60-mile radius.
