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Franken FM is on the agenda at the FCC.

Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel has released a list of topics for the commission’s June meeting and FM6 is on it.

“We’re asking about preserving established local programming for radio audiences,” she wrote.

“For years, some low-power television stations licensed on Channel 6 have provided listeners local radio programming that was picked up on the FM dial, so-called FM6 stations. These stations sought to maintain this service to their existing audiences after the LPTV digital transition by seeking commission approval to provide their analog radio service as ‘ancillary or supplementary services.’”

Rosenworcel said the commission will consider a proposal to allow these broadcasters to continue their existing FM6 radio service, “provided that they meet certain conditions, including interference protection and the provision of a synchronous TV service to consumers.”

The Educational Media Foundation has been among those pressing the FCC for approval and clarification on policies around FM6 stations.

Radio World contributor James O’Neal has an ongoing series of articles on these stations; the first provided an overview, the second focuses on the tech behind the stations in the era of ATSC 3.0.

The post FCC Will Consider Franken FMs in June appeared first on Radio World.

This document invites comments from all stakeholders in connection with the development of an up-to-date record on the role of receivers in spectrum management and how the Federal Communications Commission (Commission or FCC) might best promote improvements in receiver interference immunity performance that would serve the public interest. The Commission seeks to build upon the progress, including technological advances, in recent years that has enabled better receiver interference immunity performance, and the Commission seeks comment on where those efforts and advances have been most successful. The Commission also seeks to learn lessons from recent Commission proceedings in which receiver performance concerns have been prominent, to better inform the Commission as it considers how to ensure valuable and innovative services are able to thrive across the frequency range.

This document invites comments from all stakeholders in connection with the development of an up-to-date record on the role of receivers in spectrum management and how the Federal Communications Commission (Commission or FCC) might best promote improvements in receiver interference immunity performance that would serve the public interest. The Commission seeks to build upon the progress, including technological advances, in recent years that has enabled better receiver interference immunity performance, and the Commission seeks comment on where those efforts and advances have been most successful. The Commission also seeks to learn lessons from recent Commission proceedings in which receiver performance concerns have been prominent, to better inform the Commission as it considers how to ensure valuable and innovative services are able to thrive across the frequency range.

The Federal Communications Commission (Commission or FCC) has before it a petition for rulemaking filed by Maine Public Broadcasting Corporation (Petitioner), the licensee of WCBB, channel *10, Augusta, Maine. The Petitioner requests the substitution of channel *20 for channel *10 at Augusta in the Table of Allotments.

The Commission has before it a petition for rulemaking filed by WVEC Television, LLC (Petitioner), the licensee of WVEC, channel 11, Hampton, Virginia. The Petitioner requests the substitution of channel 35 for channel 11 at Hampton in the Table of Allotments.

The Federal Communications Commission (Commission) has before it a petition for rulemaking filed by Gray Television Licensee, LLC (Petitioner), the licensee of WMC-TV, channel 5, Memphis, Tennessee. The Petitioner requests the substitution of channel 30 for channel 5 at Memphis in the Table of Allotments.

On January 20, 2022, the Media Bureau, Video Division (Bureau) issued a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) in response to a petition for rulemaking filed by Alabama Educational Television Commission (Petitioner or AETC), requesting the allotment of reserved noncommercial educational channel *4 to Vernon, Alabama, in the Table of Allotments as the community's first local service. For the reasons set forth in the Report and Order referenced below, the Bureau amends the Federal Communications Commission (Commission or FCC) regulations to allot channel *4 at Vernon. The newly allotted channel will be authorized pursuant to the Commission's application and selection procedures for reserved noncommercial educational television stations.

On January 11, 2022, the Media Bureau, Video Division (Bureau) issued a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) in response to a petition for rulemaking filed by WNYT-TV, LLC (Petitioner), the licensee of WNYT-TV (Station), channel 12, Albany, New York, requesting the substitution of channel 24 for channel 12 at Albany in the Table of Allotments. For the reasons set forth in the Report and Order referenced below, the Bureau amends the Federal Communications Commission (Commission or FCC) regulations to substitute channel 24 for channel 12 at Albany.

On January 26, 2022, the Media Bureau, Video Division (Bureau) issued a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) in response to a petition for rulemaking filed by Scripps Broadcasting Holdings LLC (Scripps or Petitioner), the licensee of KTVQ(TV) (KTVQ or Station), channel 10, Billings, Montana, requesting the substitution of channel 20 for channel 10 at Billings in the Table of Allotments. For the reasons set forth in the Report and Order referenced below, the Bureau amends the Federal Communications Commission (Commission or FCC) regulations to substitute channel 20 for channel 10 at Billings.

The Commission has before it a petition for rulemaking filed by Gray Television Licensee, LLC (Petitioner), the licensee of WDTV (CBS), channel 5, Weston, West Virginia. The Petitioner requests the substitution of channel 33 for channel 5 at Weston in the Table of Allotments.

The Commission has before it a petition for rulemaking filed by Scripps Broadcasting Holdings LLC (Petitioner), the licensee of KPAX-TV, channel 7, Missoula, Montana. The Petitioner requests the substitution of channel 25 for channel 7 at Missoula in the Table of Allotments.

The Commission has before it a petition for rulemaking filed by Scripps Broadcasting Holdings LLC (Petitioner), the licensee of KRTV, channel 7, Great Falls, Montana. The Petitioner requests the substitution of channel 22 for channel 7 at Great Falls in the Table of Allotments.

The Commission has before it a petition for rulemaking filed by Scripps Broadcasting Holdings LLC (Petitioner), the licensee of KXLF-TV, channel 5, Butte, Montana. The Petitioner requests the substitution of channel 15 for channel 5 at Butte in the Table of Allotments.

The Commission has before it a petition for rulemaking filed by Scripps Broadcasting Holdings LLC (Petitioner), the licensee of KBZK, channel 13, Bozeman, Montana. The Petitioner requests the substitution of channel 27 for channel 13 at Bozeman in the Table of Allotments.

The Federal Communications Commission (Commission) has before it a petition for rulemaking filed by Scripps Broadcasting Holdings LLC (Petitioner), the licensee of KTVH-DT, channel 12, Helena, Montana. The Petitioner requests the substitution of channel 31 for channel 12 at Helena in the Table of Allotments.

The Federal Communication Commission (Commission or FCC) amends the rules applicable to broadcast radio stations to better reflect current requirements and eliminate redundant, outdated, or conflicting technical provisions.

In this document, the Federal Communications Commission (Commission) proposes targeted updates to its rules to incorporate new and updated standards that are integral to the testing of equipment and accreditation of laboratories that test RF devices.

In this document, the Commission announces that the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) has approved two information collections associated with rules governing sponsorship identification requirements for foreign government-provided programming in the 2021 Report and Order, FCC 21-42, in MB Docket No. 20-299. The Commission also announces that compliance with the rules is now required. It removes a paragraph in the adopted rules advising that compliance was not required until OMB approval was obtained. This document is consistent with the 2021 Report and Order, which states the Commission will publish a document in the Federal Register announcing a compliance date for the rule sections and revise the rules accordingly.

On March 1, the new President and CEO of the nation’s primary advocacy and lobbying group for radio and television broadcasting companies issued a request. Despite being a “fierce defender” of the First Amendment, Curtis LeGeyt asked that any state-sponsored programming with ties to Moscow be pulled from U.S. airwaves — now.

LeGeyt seemingly took aim at Sputnik, the English-language service of the Voice of Russia. It is heard for six hours each weekday in St. Louis, in addition to 24/7 service on an AM and an FM translator serving Washington, D.C.

The owner of the St. Louis station has already been vocal, sharing his ire over LeGeyt’s request. This week, KCXL-AM‘s owner renewed his disdain for LeGeyt’s request, labeling it “a call to disregard our right of free speech.”

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Roger Wahl is a convicted felon. As the FCC’s Media Bureau noted, Wahl’s convictions of a felony and multiple misdemeanors alone “raise the question under the Commission’s Character Qualifications Policy Statement whether he possesses the requisite character qualifications to remain a Commission licensee.”

Indeed, Wahl could be stripped of his license. But, that may not happen for a year, based on a Hearing Designation Order schedule released by the FCC on Thursday.

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