Breaking News: Today the FCC has decided which applicants will win NCEs

[perenoel6218]

The FCC met today and on the agenda was an item to issue a Memorandum and
Order deciding among the 200 applicants in the 76 MX NCE groups which applicant
will be awarded a CP. The list is in the hands of the FCC but today they did not
publish it. We must now await the publishing to discover who got the CPs.

 

[dbdigital]

Along with that was the announcement by Commissioner Copps of an NCE filing window about 6 months from now or in the fall of the year.

db

 

[Timewarp]

Most of these applications are from way back in the 1900's.

So, to all of you getting excited about your chance to apply during the next window, hope
you're in good health in 2017 when you get yours.

 

[perenoel6218]

I hear what TIMEWARP is saying, but for those of us who applied in the mid and late
90s keep in mind that the FCC changed its formula for granting CPs during that
time. By 2001 we all had to resubmit a revised application based on the "supplemental
point"system devised by William Kennard, the then FCC chief. That took a few
years in doing, then three groups challenged that point system in the courts:
The American Family Association, The state of Oregon, and finally, god bless them,
NPR (ugh!). That added a few more years during the appeal which eventually
the appellate courts threw out. (The comments by this court are well worth reading
for entertainment purposes if nothing else). And so, these events have put the
issuance of CPs quite behind any normal schedule. Yes, the FCC has been quite
tardy in getting these out, yet I do not think any new window applicants would be
haunted by these delays. Although, there could be other and newer ones, only
the good lord knows about!!!!

 

[audio4tv]

I hear what TIMEWARP is saying, but for those of us who applied in the mid and late
90s keep in mind that the FCC changed its formula for granting CPs during that
time. By 2001 we all had to resubmit a revised application based on the "supplemental
point"system devised by William Kennard, the then FCC chief. That took a few
years in doing, then three groups challenged that point system in the courts:
The American Family Association, The state of Oregon, and finally, god bless them,
NPR (ugh!). That added a few more years during the appeal which eventually
the appellate courts threw out. (The comments by this court are well worth reading
for entertainment purposes if nothing else). And so, these events have put the
issuance of CPs quite behind any normal schedule. Yes, the FCC has been quite
tardy in getting these out, yet I do not think any new window applicants would be
haunted by these delays. Although, there could be other and newer ones, only
the good lord knows about!!!!

Almost correct...Originally, the Commission wanted to use Auctions. This was rejected by the courts. So, came the point system. Challenged by American Family and Jefferson Public Radio (State of Orgeon) due to being unfair, by giving advantage to those with fewer holdings and local. NPR filed on behalf of the FCC. Surpreme Court upheld lower court. Commission then moved forward with comparative criteria in two phases...The first was on the basis of technical: which application covered more area and/or served more unserved people or greater audience. These took some time to go through. In addition, the way the rules are crafted the Full Commission has to vote on these, rather than defer to staff. Thus, the point in which we are at now. A process will be easier for the new window, for those that apply. However, you can expect fierce competition for any new license, primarily from religous outlets, and they will have a bag of application tricks to try to gobble up a majority of the permits.

 

[PaulBWalkerJr]

I'm excited that the FCC is FINALLY going to open up a Full Power NCE (Non Commercial Educational) FM Filling Window in October 2007. I've been waiting something like 2 years and it's finally here!!!

....And yes, I do plan on filing an application or two myself ....

 

[audio4tv]

I'm excited that the FCC is FINALLY going to open up a Full Power NCE (Non Commercial Educational) FM Filling Window in October 2007. I've been waiting something like 2 years and it's finally here!!!

....And yes, I do plan on filing an application or two myself ....

FYI...NCE stations, unlike LPFM, will not only have more stringent application process (about $2K or so for application process), but the actual applicant has to be a non-profit educational institution, organization, or government entity. No individuals, just like LPFM. Also, the point system is not the same for competeing applications. It favors local, established, entitites, with no broadcast properties. Programming is not in the mix. The studies themselves will knock out a lot of potential applicants. So, plan now, but expect that if you find a frequency, so will others.

 

[w9wi]

...
However, you can expect fierce competition for any new license, primarily from religous outlets, and they will have a bag of application tricks to try to gobble up a majority of the permits.

That's what I expected to see when the Commission finally released the list - it didn't entirely turn out that way.

Judging strictly from the names of the applicants:

MX groups* where only secular organizations applied: 5
MX groups where only religious organizations applied: 35
MX groups where both types applied & a secular organization won the permit: 22
MX groups where both types applied & a religious organization won the permit: 2
MX groups where I can't tell from the name what type of organization won the permit: 12

Where both religious and secular organizations applied for the same channel, a secular organization usually (indeed, almost always) won. There were two common reasons for this:

- Local organizations got a preference point. Many secular applicants were state public radio networks or universities which got this point. Most religious applicants were national organizations which didn't.

- Many MX groups had ties in preference points awarded, and went to the first tiebreaker. Whichever applicant had the fewest licenses, permits, or applications won. Many of the religious applications were filed by national organizations like AFR and EMF (K-Love) with hundreds of stations. For example, 90.3 in Spokane, Wash. went to Spokane Public Radio, which has only nine stations. They were tied on points with American Family Association - which has 227.

In general this bodes poorly for the further expansion of these national groups through the creation of completely new stations. (it looks like EMF is already working around it by buying up existing stations)


* "MX group" is a group of mutually-exclusive applications, from which the Commission chose one application for tentative grant.

 

[audio4tv]

...
However, you can expect fierce competition for any new license, primarily from religous outlets, and they will have a bag of application tricks to try to gobble up a majority of the permits.

That's what I expected to see when the Commission finally released the list - it didn't entirely turn out that way.

Where both religious and secular organizations applied for the same channel, a secular organization usually (indeed, almost always) won. There were two common reasons for this:

- Local organizations got a preference point. Many secular applicants were state public radio networks or universities which got this point. Most religious applicants were national organizations which didn't.

- Many MX groups had ties in preference points awarded, and went to the first tiebreaker. Whichever applicant had the fewest licenses, permits, or applications won. Many of the religious applications were filed by national organizations like AFR and EMF (K-Love) with hundreds of stations. For example, 90.3 in Spokane, Wash. went to Spokane Public Radio, which has only nine stations. They were tied on points with American Family Association - which has 227.

In general this bodes poorly for the further expansion of these national groups through the creation of completely new stations. (it looks like EMF is already working around it by buying up existing stations)

My comment was for what to expect in the next window. One of the things that will likely happen is a Shill local group apply for a license, which basically will be an outlet for the major group. K-Love or CSN may not own the station, but for all intent, the programming will be a duplicate. This will burn many secular organizations.

 

[jegrant]

My comment was for what to expect in the next window. One of the things that will likely happen is a Shill local group apply for a license, which basically will be an outlet for the major group. K-Love or CSN may not own the station, but for all intent, the programming will be a duplicate. This will burn many secular organizations.

Sounds a lot like what happened with LPFM. Not so much in the case of K-Love, but definitely with "Calvary Chapel of Insert Locality Here" and "M&M Community Development of Place That Needs To Have Jammin' Hip Hop & R&B."