Among the most frequent violations cited by FCC field agents is failure to maintain the tower lighting specified in the license. Since many stations spend more on electricity for tower lights than the actual transmittted power, any ability to reduce electrical consumption is welcome. Perhaps you have heard about the new initiative the […]

All broadcast stations need to ensure operations conform to the FCC Rules. In recent years, deregulation has changed some of the requirements – and who has the responsibility to ensure everything is done correctly. Just who is it – and what do you call him? For much of broadcast history, every radio station […]

The FCC has signaled that they are taking a closer look at the practice of “walking” licenses from one market to another. Radio Power, Inc of Reno, NV had moved a translator six times for a total of 63+ miles – and into a major market. The FCC is asking some really direct […]

The FCC announced plans to open an LPFM window in “Summer 2012.” Under the mandate of the Local Community Radio Act (LCRA), the Commission was directed by Congress to make it easier to file for LPFM licenses. A Third Further Notice of Proposed Rule Making was the result, and new rules and procedures […]

LPFM advocates have looked to this service as an outlet for those who want to reach the local community without a huge investment in time, applications, and money. Others see LPFM as diluting the audience and a danger to full power broadcasters. James Pollock explains why the hurdles presented to LPFM will prevent […]

The FCC’s latest auction of FM frequencies has just ended with some allocations taking as many as 40 rounds of bidding. While the FCC seems to focus on the money raised – and sent right to the federal coffers, Terry Cowan thinks this process really does not achieve good local radio. The government’s […]

Getting a Construction Permit is a major milestone on the way to building a broadcast station. However, there are still a number of hurdles to get past, including local zoning. The calendar is another potential enemy. Joe DiPietro shows how you might be able to salvage things, even when the clock is about […]

All of us have had occasional questions about how to interpret “FCC Speak.” Unfortunately, the FCC is reluctant to make many things clear, until some enforcement or other written petition is accepted. In this case a group of broadcast engineers did get the FCC to say something – and it may help you. […]

As the various proposals regarding LPFM work their way through the FCC and the US Congress, many wonder if LPFM will ever be a viable broadcast service, or will continue to be hobbled by regulatory restraints. Laura Mizrahi prepared this material to examine where things stand today. The Low Power FM (LPFM) service […]

When stations are transferred, there are all sorts of forms involved, some financial, some regulatory. One that gets overlooked from time to time is the FCC Form 854 – to report an ownership change for a tower. When a station is transferred, the contract agreement may well include the real property and the […]