On September 27, the FCC issued a citation to SCMS regarding the marketing of the BW TX300V2 transmitter as well some other power amplifiers.  This citation startled SCMS and sent some shockwaves across the LPFM community especially given that the TX300V2, one of the two most popular transmitters for LPFM stations was indeed FCC certified for use on LPFM stations.

According to a story in Radio World, FCC Commissioner Ajit Pai speaking at the Radio Show in Nashville states that the FCC should consider a new FM class C4.  According to Pai, "An NPRM would allow us to ask the right questions, explore the advantages and disadvantages of the proposal, and receive the view of all stakeholders.  Then, we would be in a much better position to determine whether to implement this idea." 

REC supports radio

Across the country, broadcasters big and small are celebrating a day for radio.  National Radio Day is a time to honor the medium that has relevance in the lives of every modern generation.  While at one time, radio was solely on AM, the medium would eventually evolve to FM, SDARS (Sirius/XM) and terrestrial digital audio broadcasting.  But the medium of radio does not stop there.  Webcasting, podcasting and even predecessor mediums such as satellite audio subcarriers and telephone entertainment lines are and were used to deliver free thoughts, ideas and expression.  Long before podcasting, REC was delivering this form of free speech through telephone entertainment lines of the late 1980s and there were predecessors doing the same thing since the 1970s.  

While the days of the phone lines are long gone, REC is supporting the medium of audio transmission we call radio, both terrestrial and otherwise through several initiatives:

Coming up this Friday, July 29, 2016, the next filing window opens for AM broadcast licensees and other entities that wish to rebroadcast an AM station (with their permission, of course) to be able to move an FM translator to provide "fill-in" service for an AM station under the FCC's "AM Revitalization" plan. Starting Friday:

Today, the FCC has granted the original construction permit application for Lighthouse Network, Inc. which applied to operate on 101.5 in the northern part of San Antonio, Texas and dismissed the application for Message Radio which was proposing to operate on 99.9 in northwest Tucson, Arizona. 

Following the window, a Petition to Deny the Message Radio application was filed by Global Change Multi-Media, an applicant that was mutually exclusive at the time but was able to relocate to a different channel and was granted.  In addition, an informal objection was filed by Tucson LPFM station Xerocraft, Inc.