Effective Date Announced for Relaxed FM Translator Siting Rules

The last "T" has been crossed and the last "I" dotted in the FCC's proceeding to adopt new rules relaxing siting requirements for FM translators seeking to rebroadcast AM stations. In a Federal Register notice, the FCC announced that the Office of Management and Budget has approved the information collection requirements associated with the Commission's Second Report and Order in Revitalization of the AM Radio Service.

The changes now become effective on April 10. The Media Bureau recently had said it wouldn't process such FM translator applications until the new rules take effect. In order to be fair to all stations that may want to take advantage of the new rule, the Media Bureau said at that time in a Notice that "any application or notification that does not comply with the current siting rule, including those that seek a waiver of the order's effective date," would be dismissed.

The bureau said this processing policy will ensure that all AM stations "have the same opportunity to propose potentially conflicting facilities in spectrum-congested areas and to prevent filers from gaining cut-off protection for proposed facilities that at the time of filing are patently defective." Any FM translator licensees or permittees now know when they will be able to take advantage of that opportunity - April 10. In the meantime, please contact FHH with any questions.