Most FM Stations Allowed to Up Digital Power by 300%
Commercial and public radio broadcasters got much of what they sought from an FCC order Friday allowing most FM stations to increase digital power 300 percent from the current limit. A Media Bureau order seemed, as expected, to largely hew to a compromise on power levels reached late last year between iBiquity Digital, the licensor of HD Radio tuners and station gear, and National Public Radio (CD Nov 10 p8).
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The order lets almost all the nation’s FM commercial and noncommercial educational stations -- which the bureau said totaled 9,566 as of June 30 -- increase digital in-band on- channel power to 4 percent of their analog output, or up to 6 dB. That’s a 300 percent increase. “Virtually all of the licensees of the nearly 1,500 commercial and NCE FM stations currently operating hybrid FM digital facilities have concluded that the coverage resulting from their operations at maximum permissible FM Digital ERP [effective radiated power] levels does not replicate analog coverage, and that indoor and portable coverage are particularly and significantly diminished,” said the order, http://xrl.us/bgt5x2. “Since the commencement of 1 percent FM IBOC Power operations in 2004, the Bureau has not received any well documented complaints of interference to analog FM stations from digital signals.”
“It’s pretty much on the mark and what we had been asking for,” said attorney Steven Lerman of Lerman Senter. “It tracks the agreement between iBiquity and NPR in all material respects.” The law firm represented 16 companies with 1,200 FM stations total, and equipment makers including Harris, that had initially sought permission for a 900 percent across-the-board power increase. “Subject to studying it further, it looks like it will be a big help to the FM community,” Lerman said. “The reasoning is sound, and it was the result we were looking for.”
NPR’s chief technology officer agreed that the order was as expected. “It looked like exactly what we were asking for,” Mike Starling said. “We now look forward to getting the higher power on the air to benefit the listening public, especially those indoors and with the new portable receivers.” Those seeking the full 10 dB increase of 900 percent to -10 dBc “just have to have the spacing distance,” he said. “The commission took our formula and put it into that table.” The order allows for “greatly improved indoor reception for HD Radio listeners and greater service reliability for portable HD Radio devices,” an NAB spokesman said. IBiquity representatives weren’t available to comment by our deadline.
Some types of stations would be limited in possible power increases, the bureau said. It said they can use a bureau calculator at www.fcc.gov/mb/audio/digitalFMpower.html to see whether they're part of the super-powered class of stations affected. Other types of stations seeking increases greater than the 300 percent increase must submit informal requests to the bureau, the order said. All stations taking advantage of the “blanket 6 dB increase” must notify the commission within 10 days of boosting power, the bureau said.
The bureau rejected a request from the Prometheus Radio Project, representing low-power FM stations, not to allow a blanket increase, and to give its client stations protection from digital interference. “As a general matter, adoption of these recommendations would constitute a dramatic change in LPFM licensing rules and the relationship between LPFM and full-service stations,” Friday’s order said. “Analog LPFM and FM translator stations are secondary services.” The head of Prometheus said he was still reviewing the order at our deadline.
When full-power stations interfered with others’ digital operations can’t work out a solution, the bureau said, it will act on complaints within 90 days. “If the Bureau fails to act within the allowable 90-day period, the interfering station must immediately reduce its FM Digital ERP,” the order said. “We will require the stations to work cooperatively to confirm the instances of interference and to attempt to eliminate the interference using voluntary tiered FM Digital ERP reductions. If the stations resolve the interference by voluntary reduction of FM Digital ERP, then the licensee operating the digital facilities must maintain its FM Digital ERP at the jointly agreed upon reduced level, and notify the Commission.”