That’s according to FCC Chairman Ajit Pai now that the Incentive Auction on the TV side is over. Pai did not give a specific date but said it will be for Class C and D stations, and the necessary IT work is being done now and it’s going well.
To date, the FCC has received nearly 1,100 applications, granting almost 95% of them. That translates to more than 20% of AM stations obtaining FM translators to grow their audience.
Pai said there are also other important elements to the FCC’s AM Radio Revitalization Initiative that remain pending, and is hopeful the Commission can move forward on some of them soon.
If they wanted to play fair they’d allow LPFMs to also be involved.
Patrick, which organization would that be? Just wondering if it is one which promotes LPFM “satellators” which nobody at the “licensee” even knows exists let alone has any local programming input.
Many of these AM stations are locally owned, programmed and do a lot for their communities. Why do you hate them so?
This will NOT HAPPEN in my market if I and our organization has any say in it. This junk of repurposing AM stations and reformulating FM’s to outside area programming is just more communistic taking over our airwaves. Radio should and must remain LOCAL, and LIVE , not voicetracking , not satellite downloading of programs and music. There needs to be a movement that puts a LIVE person behind that console and Mic, not someone that our towns will never see or meet.