The date is set for updated FCC rules around the limited use of FM booster stations to originate geotargeted content to take effect. Following the Second Report and Order’s publishing in the Federal Register the new rules are set to take effect on January 13.
Certain rules that involve new or modified information collection requirements are pending approval by the Office of Management and Budget under the Paperwork Reduction Act. These changes will take effect on a date announced in a future notice. The FCC’s Media Bureau will issue a Public Notice at that time to confirm the implementation of the remaining rule changes.
The Commission unanimously approved the use of geotargeting via FM boosters in November, expanding on rules implemented earlier this year. Licensed FM stations can now apply to originate hyper-local programming on up to 25 boosters for up to three minutes per hour, with no carryover for unused minutes.
Boosters must comply with Emergency Alert System requirements and are permitted to cause limited interference with their parent station’s signal.
GeoBroadcast Solutions, the company behind ZoneCasting technology, stands to benefit from the ruling despite pushback from the National Association of Broadcasters. The NAB has raised concerns about potential impacts on smaller stations, local advertising markets, and listener experience in overlapping “transition areas.”
At the time of voting, FCC Chairman-designate Brendan Carr said, “This can help broadcasters further serve their local communities. It is going to benefit, I think collaterally, a lot of small businesses along the way. It has taken a lot of work to get here. It is something Commissioner Starks really identified that was an important contribution to the broadcast industry. He worked on this and got it across the finish line.”
