FCC Proposals
A petition for rulemaking has been filed by seventeen groups led by Press Communications seeking to allow licensees of AM stations to relocate translators up to either 250 (or 500) miles similar to the filing windows in 2016 and 2017. The proposal seeks to make the moves permanent, although suggesting a 120 to 150 day head start for Class C and D licenses.
Press, the licensee of “The Breeze” 1410 WHTG Eatontown NJ says that its 100.7 W264DH Eatontown “reaches about 20% of
the AM’s daytime coverage. Adding one or more translators would greatly enhance WHTG’s ability to better serve its existing listening audience, and more importantly, develop new audience.”
The proposal says that it would “provide struggling AM stations a potential cost-effective means to reach at least a portion of their audience and listeners with better audio quality; offer AM stations, and especially those with daytime only operation or low power and critical nighttime patterns, the opportunity to better serve their audiences with one, two or three full time FM translators within the 25 mile limitation; greatly enhance AM stations’ ability to provide local news, public affairs, and cultural programming to more listeners via FM, especially where AM reception is poor and/or during nighttime hours; and reinforce the FCC’s long-standing commitment to preserving AM service as a
vital part of the public airwaves.
Silent Notifications
- Northern Arizona University’s 90.3 KNAG Grand Canyon AZ (Technical problems)
- Point Broadcasting’s 98.9 KHHT Mettler CA (Loss of internet connectivity)
- Pescadero Public Radio Service’s 89.3 KPDO Pescadero CA (Transmitter chain damage)
- Pescadero Public Radio Service’s 90.7 KZSG San Gregorio CA (Transmitter chain damage)
- Townsquare Media’s 1280 WGBF Evansville IN (Economic conditions)
- Emmis Communications’ 1070 WFNI Indianapolis IN (Technical reasons)
- Greenville College Educational Broadcasting Foundation’s 89.5 WGRN Greenville IL (Not included in future operational strategy; to be sold)
- Kansas Broadcast Company’s 730 KLOE Goodland KS (Tower collapse)
- Connoisseur Media’s 1510 KTTT Columbus NE (Considering future operational plans)
- Galaxy Media’s 1310 WTLB Utica NY (Transmitter site sold)
- Northwest Communities Education Center’s 89.1 KDNC Manson WA (Power supply issues)
FM Changes
While the sale of 104.7 WFLM is held up, another Public News/Talker attempts to improve its coverage into West Palm Beach.
