FCC to vote on adopting rule changes for FM boosters
FCC to vote on adopting rule changes for FM boosters
FCC normalizes the use of "geotargeted" FM boosters. Adds additional interference protections.
In a circulation draft of a Report and Order that will be voted on at the FCC’s November Open Meeting, the FCC is planning some changes to the FCC Rules regarding FM booster stations.
FM boosters are lower-powered transmitters that operate on the same channel as their primary station and up to 20% of the effective radiated power (ERP) allowed for that primary station’s service class in order to rebroadcast the signal of the primary or host station. FM boosters must be engineered where the 60 dBu service contour of the booster must remain within the 60 dBu service contour of the host station. LPFM stations may hold up to two booster authorizations with a maximum ERP of 20 watts each. FM boosters have been allowed to operate independent programming for up to three minutes per hour on an experimental basis with prior consent from the FCC. Geo Broadcast Solutions (GBS), the original petitioner and proponent of “ZoneCasting” technology states that the time can be used to provide local advertising, weather or public service announcements to a specific area (or “zone”) served by the boosters. FM boosters need to be engineered in a way that it does not cause interference to the primary station or other FM boosters.
In the draft Order, the FCC normalizes the use of program originating boosters without the need for an experimental authorization. Once implemented, existing FM booster licensees wishing to do program origination must file a notification with the FCC within 15 days of deployment. The new form will be in the LMS filing system. REC plans to provide eLMS support for that new form once the form has been approved by the Office of Management and Budget and made available in LMS.
Limit on FM boosters
One of the points of early contention by REC regarding FM boosters is their need to comply with the Local Community Radio Act (LCRA), which in section 5 states that LPFM, FM translator and FM booster stations are equal in status and licenses will be distributed based on community need. Early in the proceeding, REC developed a “community need criteria” for FM boosters to assure that they continue to be used for their original purpose which was to fill in gaps in coverage. The FCC had proposed to allow up to 25 boosters per station. This is a number that REC opposed at first. Instead, we were willing to drop our opposition to such a high booster cap as long as issues which are normally novel for FM translators, such as co-channel interference is addressed. The draft Order supports the cap of 25 boosters per station.
Co-channel interference protection
Currently, FM translators have three levels of interference protection. First, there are specific rules regarding the engineering of translators where they have to meet certain contour requirements to prevent overlap prior to application filing. Second, there is an interference remediation rule, §74.1204(f), which permits incumbent spectrum users (including LPFM) to create a “package” of interference complaints at the time of proposal if they predict that interference will occur based on the arriving contours of the desired (incumbent) station and the undesired (proposed translator) station. Finally, there’s a third step in §74.1203, where the incumbent facility can create an interference package, similar to what was described in step two to claim actual interference after the FM translator is on the air. FM translators are required to protect LPFM stations on co-channel and first-adjacent channel only. For all other services, the protection extends also to second and third-adjacent channels and in some cases, intermediate frequencies (+/- 10.6 and 10.8 MHz).
Currently, for FM boosters, the first level of protection prior to application filing only applies to first-adjacent channels. There is no second step for remediation after filing. There is the third step, which can apply on co-channel as well as first-adjacent channels.
Citing the fact that full-service stations can make subsequent modifications to move closer to LPFM and FM translator stations that could place a booster interfering contour inside the 60 dBu service contour of an LPFM or translator, REC asked for the “first step” of protection to be extended to also include co-channel proposals. REC also asked for the second-step (§74.1204(f)) to also apply to FM boosters.
In their draft Order, the FCC has disagreed to establish a new up front protection level (first step) but will adopt the second-step by expanding the scope of the §74.1204(f) interference remediation rule to include FM booster stations. This means that if an LPFM station, a full-service station or a FM translator can demonstrate, after the FM booster application is filed, that the subsequently-applied for booster could cause interference to established listeners (count based on population of the incumbent station) within the incumbent station’s 45 dBu contour, then the grant of a FM booster application, either new or modification can be stopped at that point.
Other changes on deck
Other changes that will be voted on for adoption include:
Notification requirements to the State Emergency Communications Coordinator (SECC) and a specific FCC email address for FM boosters with host stations that are in an EAS state plan as a monitoring assignment.
Rule clarifying that if the primary station is off the air, so should the booster.
Rules clarifying the booster licensee’s responsibilities where it comes to political broadcasting and advertising.
Full-service stations with program originating boosters will need to place a statement in their public file to certify that the licensee has considered the characteristics and needs of the coverage area of the booster station and has not used the booster to exclude or diminish service to other populations within the booster service area. This certification would be filed with the quarterly reports and will not apply to LPFM stations.
Where and When
This proceeding, MB Docket 20-401, will be considered at the FCC November, 2024 Open Meeting scheduled for November 21, 2024 at 10:30AM EST.