FCC Actions

The FCC has approved a 2019 petition filed by Xperi, NPR, and the NAB to allow FM stations to operate their HD Radio sidebands at different power levels without experimental authorization, although stations on 107.1 to 107.9 are currently exempted due to concerns raised by users of the adjacent Aeronautical Radio Navigation Spectrum (108.0 – 117.95 MHz) until further testing is completed.

In the petition it was said that with asymmetric sidebands a digital FM station can limit the power of one digital sideband to protect the adjacent analog FM station on that side while concurrently increasing the power of the other sideband in order to expand its overall digital coverage and improve its building penetration. They say that many more digital FM stations could increase power on at least one sideband above the current limit of -14 dBc with 6,120 of 10,875 digital FM stations studied able to increase power on both sidebands to -10 dBc under the current rules with an additional 3,496 stations could increase one sideband to -10 dBc if asymmetric sidebands were allowed.

As part of the grant, stations will need to notify the FCC of asymmetric operation indicating the digital ERP of of the upper and lower digital sidebands as well as the total digital ERP.

An Order to Pay or Show Cause has been issued to World Harvest Communications Inc. Gospel “Tap On Radio” 1070 WKMB Stirling NJ for not paying FCC regulatory fees since 2010. WKMB current owes $32,367.36 plus additional accruing interest.

The commission has dismissed the applications of Community Service Broadcasting Foundation’s 90.9 KKBX Caliente NV to relocate to Dammeron Valley UT and SSR Communications’ application to modify the COL on its CP for 100.7 KCAY Dammeron Valley to Ivins UT. An Order To Show Cause has also been issued to KCAY as to why its authorization should not be modified to specify operation as a Class A on 107.7 in Caliente as opposed to a C3 on 100.7 in Dammeron Valley.

An FCC engineering analysis rejects the proposed changes as the COL change from Dammeron Valley to Ivins for KCAY is an intra-urbanized area move that does not provide a preferential arrangement of assignments as it does not provide service improvement. The commission then states that SSR’s chain of modification applications and amendments since winning the original allocation of 107.7 Caliente in Auction 109 circumvented the Commission’s reallotment procedures and the amendment to change COL to Dammeron Valley was granted by staff error.

“SSR’s January 3, 2022, community of license modification to Channel 299A at Dammeron Valley violated the requirements of section 73.3573(g)(2) because the move to Dammeron Valley on Channel 299A was not mutually exclusive with the original auction allotment on Channel 264A at Caliente. SSR’s December 14, 2021, application to change its assigned channel from 264A to 299A in Caliente was a permissible channel substitution consistent with our rules. We find however that the immediately ensuing January 3, 2022, application to change the KCAY community of license from Channel 299A at Caliente to the same channel at Dammeron Valley was a major change subject to dismissal pursuant to the A109 Public Notice because the proposal was not mutually exclusive with the original auction allotment on Channel 264A at Caliente. We find also that the June 6, 2022, amendment specifying Channel 264A in lieu of Channel 299A at Dammeron Valley was not in compliance with 73.3573(g)(1), because the proposal would only be allowed under the conditions set forth in the 2006 Community of License Order as clarified in Rural Radio, specifically the need to demonstrate that the community of license change represent a preferential arrangement of assignments under section 73.3573(g)(1). Thus, the combination of the two granted applications specifying KCAY’s community of license change to Channel 264A, Dammeron Valley, and the subsequent upgrade to 264C3 at Dammeron Valley violated the requirements of our Rural Radio policy. Based on the foregoing, we dismiss the SSR Application.”

The KKBX application would result in a net population gain of 479 persons that is considered well-served by at least 21 reception services while the loss area is considered well-served by at least 6 reception services and 20 persons would lose a potential second NCE service making it also a non-preferential arrangement of allotments pursuant to section 73.3573(g)(1) of the FCC rules.

License Cancellations

Jimmy Dale Media has turned in the licenses of “Sports Radio 1340” WFMH and simulcaster 1460 WMCJ Cullman AL. No explanation was given.

Silent Notifications

• MARC Radio’s Hip Hop “Magic 101.3” WTMG Williston FL (Tower collapsed from Hurricane Helene)
• North Face Broadcasting’s 1450 KNOC Natchitoches LA (Transmitter failure)

AM Changes

As it prepares to add sister Sports “1230 The Game” KLAV to its tower site along with a move to 1240,