Sides at Opposite Ends of Dial on LPTV Channel 6 FM Service Extension
Supporters and critics of letting low-power TV channel 6 stations provide analog FM radio services beyond the 2021 DTV conversion deadline were at odds in FCC docket 03-185 filings posted through Thursday. That included disagreements about whether the audio service…
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is an allowable ancillary or supplementary service. Two rules modifications would easily let the FCC extend the authorization of analog Channel 6 LPTV stations offering analog 87.7 FM audio service after the LPTV digital transition, the LPTV Spectrum Coalition said: Doing so would shorten the DTV moving time and keep alive the analog audio service. The group said concerns about interference from Channel 6 stations broadcasting a dual digital TV/analog audio signal "are both highly exaggerated [and] easily managed in the real world field engineering work." It said if the FCC wants to be "overly cautious," it could opt for contour overlap restrictions and bans on actual interference. The public interest benefit in keeping the service is "indisputable" given millions of regular listeners, said the Preserve Community Programming Coalition. It echoed the LPTV Spectrum Coalition's call for rules modifications. There have been few if any instances of Channel 6 FM audio causing interference, and interference rules could remedy any that occur, said Educational Media Foundation. LPTV operators back continuing the service (see 2001220063). In contrast, Common Frequency said there might be value in retaining the FM facilities, but doing so would be "an awkward move." It said the agency should either grandfather the current rules, allowing a certain amount of analog TV stations still existing on Channel 6 beyond 2021, or replace the service. It urged eliminating Channel 6 for TV use and 82-88 MHz for channels to migrate AM licensees. NPR said analog FM authorizations beyond 2021 "would be misguided" since each "Franken FM" station takes up 30 times the spectrum a traditional FM station uses, calling that a misuse of public airwaves. NPR said such analog audio service isn't an ancillary and supplementary service under the Communications Act and extending the authorizations would violate rules on TV stations operating independent visual and aural transmitters. The California State University Long Beach Research Foundation, which advocated for FM broadcast interference protections from LPTV stations operating on Channel 6, said the agency needs to consider the scope of that problem. The CSU foundation said there are different ways to address the issue, such as emission masks on LPTV stations.