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What ever happened with the “Franken FM” FCC proposal?
- Thread starter Radiopaw
- Start date
This proceeding is still up in the air. The one part of that proceeding that I am watching closely is the proposal to eliminate the reserved band FM to Channel 6 protection requirements. NPR, the Franken FMs and myself (REC) are all supporting an immediate relief to FM stations on 88.5~91.9 from these restrictions. REC did include a technical proposal to address 88.1 and 88.3. WPVI and NAB are opposing.
I am hoping we can get this enacted prior to the next LPFM filing window, but I will not support delaying the window for it.
As far as the Frankies go, there does not appear to be much movement. I hope they decide to either (1) let Franken FM die or (2) let the 13 stations that are running it now continue to run it but subject to some additional FM broadcast rules. It is a sore thumb in broadcast regulation as it is a secondary service trying to behave like a full-service FM station. The issue gets more concerning now that Congress passed the Low Power Protection Act, which will mean that some more LPTV stations will be getting primary status. None of the existing 13 frankies are in markets that would allow for new primary Class A LPTV conversions.
I am hoping we can get this enacted prior to the next LPFM filing window, but I will not support delaying the window for it.
As far as the Frankies go, there does not appear to be much movement. I hope they decide to either (1) let Franken FM die or (2) let the 13 stations that are running it now continue to run it but subject to some additional FM broadcast rules. It is a sore thumb in broadcast regulation as it is a secondary service trying to behave like a full-service FM station. The issue gets more concerning now that Congress passed the Low Power Protection Act, which will mean that some more LPTV stations will be getting primary status. None of the existing 13 frankies are in markets that would allow for new primary Class A LPTV conversions.
Apparently the FCC is about to vote in favor of keeping Franken FMs:
www.insideradio.com
FCC To Vote In Favor Of Keeping Franken FMs.
Good news out of the FCC today for the handful of so-called FM6 stations that have used their low-power television signals to reach radio listeners at 87.7 FM. “The Commission
The rulemaking specifically bars any additional stations to provide analog audio services beyond the thirteen currently operating via STA and the one with a CP that had been awaiting Canadian interference approval.
Why would any full power station want to stay on channel 6 if there was any other option?
Many have moved off of Channel 6. The most recent being WRGB. KTVM, Billings MT has also been granted a CP to move from RF6 to RF20. This will leave only 8 full-service stations left on 6. Other than WPVI, some of the others are PBS stations with no real incentive to move (these stations are mainly in rural areas where people are still using their old mammoth color approved channel masters on the roof to pull in the signal). There are about 80 LPTV/translator stations on 6 (including the 13, soon to be 14 frankies).
Disney is so stubbornly dead-set to keep WPVI on such an awful, awful signal (even giving it a recent power boost after WRGB fled) and it is absolutely ponderous as to why.
ABC, like the other O&Os were so hellbent on staying on VHF after the transition because it was in their culture that they must remain VHF to be strong and not be just another measly UHF station. To me, this was a decision of the suits, not a decision of the engineers. It's what I referred to in the FCC proceeding on this subject (and the FM to TV6 protection) as "R.J. Fletcher Syndrome" referring to the Weird Al movie UHF.
From a radio perspective, it doesn't matter because the FCC is never, ever going to just hand over valuable spectrum space such as Channel 6 to for-profit radio companies. That would be a windfall profit for the companies, and a complete giveaway handout by the federal government. This is as far as they go.
It can't move! It's stuck between New York and Baltimore and all the other channels are used.. ATSC version 3 will fix WPVI's problem..
I don't think "ponderous" means what you think it means. It has nothing at all to do with wondering (or pondering). You may have been reaching for "imponderable."
I was using the word as Casey Kasem would have, but decided not to use the exact full term as this is a family board
That type of outdated thinking would explain why ABC has had zero intention to buy any of their affiliates over the past decade as the broadcast groups of yore all chose to cash out, instead letting Sinclair, Tegna, Nexstar and Apollo Global Management snap them up in unison.
WABC, WPVI and KABC all succeed despite being owned by a group so hopelessly stuck in the past but still has a ton of money.
I don't know if I agree with that. CBS was very excited about the prospect of multicasting, and NBC followed quickly. Both are now operating digitally on UHF. But yes WPVI is still on VHF.
There's an internal battle going on between ABC and Disney over the future of broadcast. The Disney folks are of the opinion that owning towers and transmitters isn't core to Disney's business plan. Bob Iger is an old ABC guy, but even his view seems to be changing, based on an interview I read.
Bob Iger Predicts A Reckoning For Streaming Services, Linear TV Death, “Smaller” & “Scarred” Movie Industry
Also a year after he left Disney, the ex-CEO & Chair offered a wide ranging take on the state of the industry, & he was blunt
deadline.com
Linear TV = broadcast, and he sees it falling off the cliff.
Nielsen pretty much validated Bob's statements a few months ago:There's an internal battle going on between ABC and Disney over the future of broadcast. The Disney folks are of the opinion that owning towers and transmitters isn't core to Disney's business plan. Bob Iger is an old ABC guy, but even his view seems to be changing, based on an interview I read.
Bob Iger Predicts A Reckoning For Streaming Services, Linear TV Death, “Smaller” & “Scarred” Movie Industry
Also a year after he left Disney, the ex-CEO & Chair offered a wide ranging take on the state of the industry, & he was blunt
Linear TV = broadcast, and he sees it falling off the cliff.
With less high-demand content available, total TV usage drops in February; streaming stays strong | Nielsen
While in line with seasonal norms, TV engagement in February confirms a very basic truth: viewership reflects the availability of what audiences are looking for.
www.nielsen.com
Look at this chart and it's pretty easy to see a deeply fragmenting marketplace, especially in the field of SVODs.
I have been of the belief that Disney will hold onto ABC for as long as the affiliates can afford to keep paying them in reverse compensation fees (which originated during the CapCities era in 1989 when WPBF paid the network for the right to affiliate, a trend that all networks have since engaged in). When the stations don't have the $$$ to continue payments like that, an inevitability given the collapse of cable television, then you'll see Disney drop ABC like a hot potato.
Yet look at the 23% of viewing that is OTA. That means that roughly a quarter of all household units does not choose to pay for added services to save money or because they can not afford another expense of $100 or more a month for cable or high-speed internet plus needed program subscriptions in the case of streaming.
Like all things broadcast vs digital, the broadcast number is declining. So yes, today there's still money to be made. But the clock is ticking.
Disney had the opportunity to buy some of their affiliates, such as WJLA, and declined. There's a big sale going on at Paramount for all the heritage CBS real estate. Get ready to see more of that.
It appears that, since the second year of the pandemic was the beginning of a recession, the "OTA" percentage has increased by about 2 points.
The behaviour at Disney in the last several years has been downright bizarre. It is as if they can't even start to predict where tomorrow's money will come from.
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