The FCC adopts a new policy letting AM stations use FM translators

[bnewton424]

On your Mark, get Ready.. set Go !!. The next wave of the fm translators has officially begun. All AM stations can and will migrate to the FM dial starting as of June 29, 2009. We wll see all sorts of movements and petitions for STAs concerning FM translators. This is going to be interesting. What ever happen to true Low Power FM radio?

BSOD[/b ;D
]The Brighter Side Of Darkness

Peace. Out

 

[w9wi]

On your Mark, get Ready.. set Go !!. The next wave of the fm translators has officially begun. All AM stations can and will migrate to the FM dial starting as of June 29, 2009. We wll see all sorts of movements and petitions for STAs concerning FM translators. This is going to be interesting. What ever happen to true Low Power FM radio?

BSOD[/b ;D
]The Brighter Side Of Darkness

Peace. Out

- The FCC is only allowing translators authorized as of May 1st to relay FMs. They did indicate they may rethink that proposal after the next LPFM filing window is complete. There will be no stampede to apply for new FM translators, at least not until after the LPFM window.

- STAs won't be necessary any more. That was the point of this rulemaking.

 

[nmoore6676]

On your Mark, get Ready.. set Go !!. The next wave of the fm translators has officially begun. All AM stations can and will migrate to the FM dial starting as of June 29, 2009. We wll see all sorts of movements and petitions for STAs concerning FM translators. This is going to be interesting. What ever happen to true Low Power FM radio?

BSOD[/b ;D
]The Brighter Side Of Darkness

Peace. Out

They are not setting up any kind of stampede. First off they can not ditch the AM signal, this only allows them to use existing translators or LPFMs to fill in holes in the coverage area, no extension of the area only within their existing service contours. If AM broadcasters are to compete they have to create some sort of leveling on the field. This only gives eligible AM stations the opportunity to do what FMs have been doing for years.

They did say that they might look at allowing them to apply for new licensing in the next filing period for LPFM but only might, not definitely.

 

[rambo2]

I agree there will no stampede, only existing licensed FM translators can be used and only within their 2mV/m contour or within 25 miles of the AM transmitter site depending on which is smaller. The AM owners who were smart enough to anticipate this ruling or already owned an FM translator by having an existing FM station are the true beneficiaries. It will be tougher and a lot more expensive to get one down the road especially in urban markets. It was about time AM stations got a real break.

 

[bnewton424]

The stampede isn't acquiring new FM translators. The stampede will be AM stations getting FM translators to relocate to their locality. Just look at how many moves it took to get the Headland, Al FM translator to the Montgomery area. There will be an on-slaught of filings and moves all over the place since FM translators can be moved relatively easy at about x miles per move.

The FCC's plan is to eventually migrate all AM stations to the FM dial and gradually shut down the AM band for broadcasting while opening up the new HD band.

BSOD
The Brighter Side Of Darkness

 

[Chad-Stevens]

The FCC's plan is to eventually migrate all AM stations to the FM dial and gradually shut down the AM band for broadcasting while opening up the new HD band.

BSOD
The Brighter Side Of Darkness

Where did you read this?

I don't think there's enough bandwidth to accomodate every AM station with even a translator, let alone full daytime coverage, on FM without a major expansion of the band and/or a forced conversion to digital.

I had said that TV channels 5 and 6, where available post analog-shutoff, should be re-allocated to FM broadcasting with existing AM's and shortspaced FMs getting dibs on relocating first, but that hasn't occured yet and would take years to complete anyhow.

 

[w9wi]

The FCC's plan is to eventually migrate all AM stations to the FM dial and gradually shut down the AM band for broadcasting while opening up the new HD band.

BSOD
The Brighter Side Of Darkness

Where did you read this?

I don't think there's enough bandwidth to accomodate every AM station with even a translator, let alone full daytime coverage, on FM without a major expansion of the band and/or a forced conversion to digital.

I had said that TV channels 5 and 6, where available post analog-shutoff, should be re-allocated to FM broadcasting with existing AM's and shortspaced FMs getting dibs on relocating first, but that hasn't occured yet and would take years to complete anyhow.

Indeed, even if you did reassign TV channels 5 and 6 as FM channels for existing AM stations, you could only handle a bit over half the band.

There'd be enough spectrum if one used IBOC -- split each 76-88MHz channel giving one AM station the HD-1 and another AM station the HD-2. But deployment of digital radios isn't high enough to make this economically practical anytime in the foreseeable future. Of course, there aren't any analog radios tuning 76-88MHz either. (OK, there are *some* but the number is negligible)

Any reassignment of TV channels would be dependent on finding suitable new spectrum for the *TV* stations that would be displaced. There aren't many but there are some. And there may be more once the FCC opens a filing window for new stations. Already, applications have been filed for channel 2 in Philadelphia and 3 in NYC. (yes, under a loophole in the Communications Act that won't authorize any more stations, but a regular filing window for normal new stations will be opened eventually...)

 

[Chad-Stevens]

There'd be enough spectrum if one used IBOC -- split each 76-88MHz channel giving one AM station the HD-1 and another AM station the HD-2. But deployment of digital radios isn't high enough to make this economically practical anytime in the foreseeable future. Of course, there aren't any analog radios tuning 76-88MHz either. (OK, there are *some* but the number is negligible

Any reassignment of TV channels would be dependent on finding suitable new spectrum for the *TV* stations that would be displaced. There aren't many but there are some. And there may be more once the FCC opens a filing window for new stations. Already, applications have been filed for channel 2 in Philadelphia and 3 in NYC. (yes, under a loophole in the Communications Act that won't authorize any more stations, but a regular filing window for normal new stations will be opened eventually...)

I know there are some DTVs on 5 and 6. (Birmingham has one in WUOA-23) There are also numerous analog LPTVs and translators on 5 and 6 which might or might not go digital or change channels in the next few years.

That's why I'd make the radio expansion "where available" and leave the bottom threshold at 76 MHz to fall in line with Japanese-spec gear which is already being produced in mass quantities. Chs. 2-4 should remain for TV usage, and as an avenue of last resort for displaced translators and LPTVs.

(OT but w9wi might know the answer: Did China expand their FM BCB to 78 MHz? The directories at fmlist.org list about 20 or so stations between 78 and 87.5 MHz, but I can't find confirmation of this anywhere else.)

Birmingham has one of the earliest AM-on-FM-translators in WJLD. So, am I to assume that a translator in the 88-92 NCE spectrum could not relay a commercial AM? It's fairly difficult finding lists of translators that are known to be operating but are there any other translators likely to relay an AM station?

 

[skippertthomas]

...This will be a 'over time' process.... I look at a window, if any, after the next LPFM window to happen in a five to six year time frame..... For those in under FM'd markets outside of metros and that have either cp's for, apps filed within the last window and licensed "D's", to benefit in the next two to three years... Many current translators are used by stations that have since upgraded and grandfathered in their little translators within the new 60 dBU's of the parent FM.... Those will be available in the short run for lease or sale... I have seen that in the STA's now used...

 

[w9wi]

...This will be a 'over time' process.... I look at a window, if any, after the next LPFM window to happen in a five to six year time frame..... For those in under FM'd markets outside of metros and that have either cp's for, apps filed within the last window and licensed "D's", to benefit in the next two to three years... Many current translators are used by stations that have since upgraded and grandfathered in their little translators within the new 60 dBU's of the parent FM.... Those will be available in the short run for lease or sale... I have seen that in the STA's now used...

I suspect a much larger source of translators for AMs will be the enormous number of applications filed in the last translator window by firms that really didn't plan to operate the stations.

In Wisconsin alone, two firms (Radio Assist Ministry and Edgewater Broadcasting) have 44 applications on file and six construction permits. Other religious organizations that *do* generally operate their translators have traded some to commercial operations. Horizon Christian Fellowship (which has ten translator permits in Wisconsin) sold W225BF Mauston to the local AM daytimer; they're hardly the only example.

 

[skippertthomas]

...w9wi....I think you've got the first leg of this proccess down, right.... That's what many will do....