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- If I am on the board of an LPFM station, can I also purchase an AM or FM radio station (or be a part owner)?
If you are on the board of an LPFM station you can not be either on the board of another LPFM station nor can you ... - I have heard that there will be a power increase for LPFMs in about two years. How can I apply for one?
There is not yet any provisions to give LPFM stations more than 100 watts at 30 meters height above average terrain (5.6 km service contour). ... - I filed an amendment to my application but the power and HAAT still show 0 in both the FCC and REC systems. How do I fix that?
It will automatically be fixed. When you file an application amendment, the amendment still has to be screened by the Media Bureau to assure that ... - I have been granted a construction permit but there is a pirate station on my channel, what should I do?
Complaints by broadcasters about unlicened/unauthorized operations are handled by the FCC's Spectrum Enforcement Division of the Enforcement Bureau. Complaints should be made in writing and ... - I am getting interference because of another LPFM station or a translator that is operating unauthorized power or an illegal antenna. How do I report this?
Complaints by broadcasters about other station operations out of compliance are handled by the FCC's Spectrum Enforcement Division of the Enforcement Bureau. Complaints should be ... - Is my station subject to the point pledges such as local programming and main studio?
Only if your station was mutually exclusive (MX) and was not settled until the end or near the end of the MX settlement window for ... - I have heard that if I have a single bay antenna (such as a Nicom BKG-77) being fed by 150 feet of LMR-600 cable with a lightning arrestor, I should set my transmitter's power to well over 100 watts. Is that legal?
When your station is authorized, you are assigned an effective radiated power (ERP). ERP is the power from your antenna, not the power from your ... - In the map example, I am station "C" with 5 points. Station "D" does not want to time share with me. Stations "B" and "E" are 4 point applicants. Can I reach an agreement and aggregate points with "A" (thus clinching the group and causing the dismissal of "D") even though they are more than 24 km from "C" and can I ask for 24 hour operation for both "A" and "C" each?
You can do this. It has been done (see MX Group #40). However, the settlement agreement between "A" and "C" must specify time sharing with ... - In the map example, what if stations "C" and "D" were to reach a time share and aggregate. What would happen to "A", despite them being more than 24 km from "C" and "D"?
If "C" and "D" aggregated points and did not include "A", there is a possibility that "A" may get dismissed just for being in the ... - I read that if I install HD Radio at my station that I can operate an HD-2 station commercially. Is that for real?
To the best of our understanding, this is not true. There is a confusion between broadcasting and subsidiary services. Broadcasting includes any services that can ... - I want to dispute another MX applicant's score determination. What do I do?
Within 30 days of the release of the public notice announcing the score, you may file an Informal Objection or Petition to Deny. ... - I did not file during the October/November 2013 window, can I still get an LPFM station?
Not at this time. We do not know when the next filing window for new LPFM stations will be. The one before this one was ... - I am in a MX group but I do not have the highest score. Is there still a chance?
Yes. All MX applicants will have a 90-day opportunity to make a settlement agreement or unilateral filing to get themselves out of the MX situation. ... - I am in a MX group with 3 applicants. Two of us are going to time share. I am the #1 group and they are #3. Do we win? (All applicants are 5 points)
If you file your time share settlement agreement during the designated 90-day filing window, groups #1 and #3 will be able to aggregate their points. ... - I am a 4-point applicant. There's another 4-point applicant in our group as well as a 5-point applicant. (Only 3 applicants in the MX group) I have reached a time share agreement with the other 4-point applicant but not the 5-point applicant. Will we win the channel?
No. This is because the 4-point applicants are not the highest scoring applicants and therefore can not aggregate their points. If the 5-point applicant is ... - Is it OK to reach out to other MX applicants right now (instead of waiting for the 90-day window)? I have heard of anti-collusion rules.
Collusion rules normally apply to broadcast auctions when commercial applications are involved. As LPFM is non-commercial, there should not be any issues with reaching out ... - If an MX applicant agrees to change their channel to allow me to operate full time on my channel, can I pay for their engineering services to specify a new channel?
Yes you can. In the settlement agreement, you must disclose this consideration. The amount must be fair and reasonable for the services involved. ... - I made a mistake on my application. Can I amend my application to change my score?
You can not amend to increase your score but you can amend to decrease your score. ... - I am in a time share agreement with a school that does not broadcast during vacation and holiday periods. Any possibility of getting those hours while the school is closed?
Work with the school to revise the time share agreement. Determine the new terms such as the definition of the vacation period in which your ... - I heard that I may have to give announcements for the first year for third adjacent channel stations. What is this about?
This is (in our opinion) the one aspect of the Local Community Radio Act that the FCC got the most wrong. Under the FCC's (misguided) ... - If there is a pending or granted LPFM applicant who no longer wants their channel, can have that applicant/permittee request a dismissal/cancellation as a part of a settlement agreement (in order to place another MX applicant on that channel)?
This is a little complicated but if the application/permit is voluntarily dismissed/cancelled, then the facility is immediately removed from the database therefore making it possible for another ... - If I am stuck in an involuntary time share situation, is there a way to make the license renewable?
There are two ways to do this. You can either reach a universal settlement with all of the applicants in the time share group. You ... - If an applicant claims a point that they are not entitled to (for example, claiming local presence yet having a date of less than two years), what will happen?
Documentation will be checked and their points can be "adjusted". Based on this answer, it is likely that the FCC will not dismiss an application ... - I have heard that when the 90-day window public notice comes out, the FCC is only going to pick the top 3-applicants (based on local community dates) and the remaining top scoring applicants will be dismissed. Is this correct?
No. All equally qualified applicants will be considered tentative selectees. The local community presence dates will only be used as a tiebreaker if the group ... - Is a TIS (traveler's information AM station) considered an attributable interest that would prevent LPFM ownership?
No. ... - If a public safety entity requests multiple stations, even at the same tower, are they required to make a showing of why they need multiple stations.
No. ... - In RM-11749, since the distance spacing is the same between LP-100 and LP-250 for co-channel and first-adjacent channel, why not second-adjacent channel?
When reviewing the minimum distance spacing required between stations, the FCC looks at both outward (LPFM interfering with full-power) and inward (full-power interfering with LPFM). ... - I am on the air with a compliant facility, I have not filed a Form 319 yet and now my construction permit is expired. What can I do?
DISCLAIMER: The following should not be considered legal advice as REC does not retain any person who is licensed to practice law in any state. ... - I am not on the air. I am not ready to come on the air yet. My construction permit has expired. Is there anything I can do?
Unless your station was on the air on the expiration date, your construction permit and your authorization to broadcast has been forfeited. Your station is ... - If an LPFM can't be placed at a location, does that mean a translator can't go there either?
Not necessarily. There are several reasons for this. The way that FM translators protect other broadcast facilities (full power, LPFM and other translators) is totally ... - I hear the FCC has a filing window open for FM translators, how can I get a translator for an LPFM station?
There have been three filing windows involving cross-service FM translators since January 2016 with another one planned for a date to be announced: The 6-month window ... - If LPFM stations that are in a time share make a one-time agreement to change schedule for one-day (such as to cover a special event), what do we need to do?
If the schedule deviation is a one time occurrence for just one day, there is no need to notify the FCC. Instead, get a signed ... - I am already granted with a second adjacent waiver but now I need to make a change on Form 318 for the same channel. Since I have already received a second-adjacent channel waiver for a particular station, do I have to submit a new waiver request?
If you are filing Form 318 for any kind of change and you are second-adjacent channel short-spaced, you must acknolwedge and address the short spacing. ... - If two stations are currently in a time share agreement and another (non-adjacent) channel becomes available that is properly spaced, can one of the two stations ask for a move to the other channel claiming that eliminating the time share will "reduce interference"?
Yes. Please contact REC for assistance. ... - If an LPFM subject to the pledge (main studio and local programming) was to make a channel change or another occurrence was to take place (such as the other station's CP expiring, license cancel, move, etc.), does this relieve the LPFM of their pledge obligations?
If the channel change took place BEFORE the grant of your original construction permit, then your station would not be subject to any pledges and ... - Is vandalizing an LPFM (or other non-commercial) station considered a federal offense?
Over the years, we have heard that radio broadcast stations are actually "federal" and that any damage to them is considered a "federal offense'. The ...
