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Greetings from your broadcast friends out on the Desert…
This is BDR Newsletter 818, Volume 16, #38 for April 23, 2025

NOT A DECIMAL POINT ERROR
Stations over 10 Watts must keep their transmitter power output (TPO) between 90% and 105% of the power authorized by the FCC. For FM’s this is in Section 73.268 of the Rules. A Florida station, licensed to 126 Watts TPO was found, during an inspection, to be running 811% of authorized power – just slightly out of the acceptable range.

A FINE THAT IS NOT FINE
Last year AT&T was fined $57 million by the FCC for not properly protecting the location information of customers. This week, a Fifth Circuit decision said the FCC violated the 7th Amendment by issuing fines without a trial. At least one Commissioner is now against all fines until the enforcement issues are solved – whether by changes in the FCC Rules or an Act of Congress, or both. This could get interesting.

DELETE DELETE DELETE
Truthfully, is there anyone who has not looked at the FCC’s Rules and Regulations and said “that really is not a useful rule?”

Some of the rules do not make sense given changes in technology and society. And, as just one example, the whole EAS section (Part 11) has needed a number of revisions/deletions since 2012, when the FCC promised a re-write. And do not forget the FCC has a lot of responsibilities aside from Part 73, 74, 11, and 17 – there are over 100 Parts.

Over 900 submissions have already been made – the NAB alone had 80 pages – and the Reply Comments are due soon. What should you know? What might you want to comment on? Michelle Bradley of RecNet will join us this week to review some of what has been submitted and what she – and you – might suggest should be confirmed or included. Michi has already prepared a summary of some of the comments, to give you a head start: https://recnet.net/fcc/Delete_Delete_Delete-broadcasting_comments.pdf

The link request is at www.theBDR.net/TLG/