Updated June 23, 2020.

The petition for rulemaking was filed by a consortium of 24 broadcast licensees calling themselves “Broadcasters for Limited Program Origination” (BLPO). 

The petition was in response to the petition made by GeoBroadcast Solutions that petitioned the FCC to allow FM boosters to originate separate content at times.  This item was put on public notice as RM-11854 and public comments were collected in April.

The BLPO Petition calls for the FCC to look beyond boosters for local origination but to also permit FM translators (as well as boosters) to originate up to 128 hours per week of separate programming without any restrictions on the type of content the translator/booster carries.

BLPO also calls for the “coverage contour” which is used to determine the coverage area of a translator to extend past the 60 dBu contour clear out to the 45 dBu contour of the primary station.  For this, BLPO is citing the recent changes in FM translator interference remediation rules that allows valid complaints to come from listeners located within the 45 dBu contour of the complaining station.

Late Monday evening, REC Networks wrote a letter to the attention of the FCC Media Bureau and the Media Advisers for all Commissioners and the Chairman to oppose language in the draft Report and Order for MB Docket 17-264 relating to the requirement in the Communications Act that broadcast stations must make public notice when certain types of applications are filed.

REC Networks regrets to report the news of the loss of one of our dearest friends, Donna DIBianco.

For those who have ever attended a recent Grassroots Radio Conference or have been involved in a NCE or LPFM station, you may know Donna. Donna, also known as the "Community Radio Goddess" would travel to different radio stations, especially those that were established after the 2007 NCE window to provide on-site support to assist stations in starting up their operations.  She referred to herself as a "start-up specialist".  Donna developed her own guides for broadcast stations to use to assure they remained in compliance. 

Revised October 3, 2023

In the early 1960s, in the aftermath of the payola scandals in radio and the fixed quiz show scandals in television’s golden era, Congress passed legislation that required broadcasters to be more transparent to the public. At first, many of the laws were very restrictive and burdensome and would get eventually legislated away over time. One portion of the law that has survived is enshrined in Section 311(a) of the Communications Act, which reads:

On Wednesday, April 22, 2020 prior to the FCC open meeting, the Commission has voted to adopt the Report and Order in MB Docket 19-193 with some modifications asked for by REC, ABC and NAB in ex parte presentations.