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The Road to New LPFM
It seemed an impossible task: Battling
mega-media companies and the FCC in order
to give communities a voice via Low Power FM
radio stations amid the clamor of dollar-driven,
spectrum-grabbing pros. Who would play David
to the broadcast Goliaths? Since we’re talking
myths and legends, why not Prometheus?
Like the Prometheus of legend, who brought
fire to mortals, today’s Prometheus Radio Project,
as indicated by the organization’s logo, seeks
to bring radio (at least LPFM) to mortals (well,
non-commercial broadcasters, anyway).
Begun in 1998 as a small group of Philadelphia-based,
local-radio activists, Prometheus has
had a huge impact on America’s FM band. Thanks
to their relentless efforts battling commercial
broadcast interests and the FCC, in court and
out of court, this small organization managed to
slip a wedge into the microscopic crack between
big-time broadcast lobbyists and the FCC.
Finding a Frequency
To apply for an LPFM license, you must
specify the frequency and location your station
will use. This is more complicated in urban
areas, where the radio dial is more crowded,
and you will likely need to hire an engineer to
produce an exhibit demonstrating the availability
of your channel. Unfortunately, even an engineer
may not be able to find a frequency in some of
the nation’s most crowded markets, such as New
York City and Los Angeles. However, most rural
areas will have many more open frequencies,
and in some cases you can specify the channel
without paying an engineer.
The availability of any given frequency
cannot be guaranteed until the FCC issues its
final set of rules and procedures for LPFM. Still,
there are a few ways to gauge your chances of
finding a frequency in your area. You can do a
quick check for channel availability in your zip
code at http://prometheusradio.org/zipcodecheck.
For a more thorough search, check the
REC Networks LPFM channel search tool at
http://cdbs.recnet.com/lpfm.php.
The results of this search will designate
your proposed location for an antenna as green
if a channel is easily available, red if a channel
is definitely not available, and yellow if one may
be found with an engineer’s help or a second
adjacency waiver. If the REC Networks search
tool cannot find a frequency for you, you can
also employ a radio engineer to perform a study
to look more closely for any open frequencies,
which you’ll need to do in most cases anyway to
produce the engineering study required in your
application. The cost of one of these surveys
varies from $500 to as much as $3,000 for more
complex studies (often in urban areas) that must
navigate interference or geographic obstacles
with directional antennas.
The rules on finding an available frequency
are among the most important and unresolved
issues the FCC must handle before accepting
new applications. Flexible rules, similar to those
already used by translator stations, could allow
thousands of new LPFM stations nationwide.
That wedge was
the Local Community
Radio Act which had
originally been introduced
as legislation
in 2005 and 2007.
The big break came in
October 2009 when the Act was passed out of
the House Subcommittee on Communications,
Technology and the Internet by a 15-1 margin.
One week later it passed the House Energy and
Commerce Committee by a voice vote. Less
than one month after that it was passed by the
Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and
Transportation. And, by December 16, 2009 it
passed the full House by voice vote. But, it would
take another full year to be passed by the full
Senate. The payoff came when the Act was
signed into law, January 7, 2011. -- Ken Reitz
KS4ZR
The most crucial (and likely most contested)
issue has to do with granting LPFM stations
waivers of the FCC’s minimum distance spacing
on the second adjacent frequency.
These waivers would open up the dial by
permitting LPFMs to use frequencies that are
two clicks away from other stations on the radio
dial, instead of the current requirement of three.
The Local Community Radio Act authorized
second adjacent frequency waivers in cases
where LPFMs are not predicted to cause interference,
but the FCC must decide how and when
such waivers will be granted, and what sort of
showings applicants will need to make in order
to receive a waiver.
A flexible waiver standard would free up
channels in more crowded markets that might
otherwise have no room for community radio.
In many of the larger markets, second adjacency
waivers could double or triple the number of
open channels, giving local groups a much better
chance to get on the air.
Crafting an Application
Though there is no fee for applying for a
noncommercial license, the FCC will only accept
applications when the LPFM filing window
is open. Since the FCC is currently formulating
new rules (and new applications) for LPFMs,
station hopefuls will have to wait for that process
to conclude and new applications to be released.
However, an Internet search of the term
“FCC Form 318” will produce the instructions
form for the old LPFM application, which may
give you a sense of the process. An important
part of the procedure is the point system by
which the FCC selects among multiple applicants
vying for the same channel, whose applications
are considered “mutually exclusive.”
According to this system of “preference
points,” competing applicants could increase
their chances of being awarded a license on the
basis of three possible points: pledging to broadcast
at least 12 hours every day, committing to
broadcast at least eight hours daily of locally
originated programming, and having established
local presence of at least two years.
As a result, if you are still planning to
incorporate as a non-profit or have just recently
registered, you may want to consider supporting
a more established group to serve as the station’s
licensee. Also, keep in mind that these preference
points may change for new LPFM stations.
The FCC has released proposed rules that
suggest placing additional emphasis on local
presence (perhaps increasing the duration from
two years to four). The proposed rules also suggest
placing additional emphasis on localism, by
adding a second point for stations who pledge
to produce local programming or even making
local programming an eligibility requirement.
Building a Station
Even after you’ve submitted your application
and (hopefully) received an LPFM license,
there isn’t much time to celebrate. Once you’ve
obtained your license, you have a lot of equipment
to buy and only 18 months to get your
station on the air. The cost of this shopping
spree can vary widely, based on where you look
for your equipment. Starting a studio with new,
state-of-the-art technology could easily cost over
$50,000. On the other hand, a studio filled with
consumer grade equipment could be built on a
budget of under $10,000.
People from all walks of life in Rockland, Maine, volunteer at WRFR-LP 93.3 and 99.3 MHz
FM, the only local radio station in Knox County. (Credit: Johanna Lindsay)
August 2012 MONITORING TIMES 17