REPORTED ISSUE
When the call sign in FCCdata is entered for an FM station, the information is not being retrieved.
OBSERVATIONS
This is an issue that is happening mainly with new FM facilities that were authorized as a result of Auction 109 and the 2021 NCE Filing Window.
There is a known issue with the LMS raw data that is received from the FCC on a daily basis. LMS maintains a facility table which shows all of the facility IDs and their related call signs after the authorizations have been granted. CDBS had a similar table. Unlike in CDBS, facility records for unbuilt construction permits (those who have not filed and been granted a license to cover) do not appear at all in the LMS facility file. FCCdata still uses the LMS facility file for call sign lookups because that file will normally receive a call sign change before eLMS will. Therefore, if there is no record for the station in LMS facility, then it can't be retrieved by FCCdata in that manner.
Even in the FCC's LMS Public Search Tool, these can't be searched by call sign.
These records are maintained in eLMS including with call sign data. If a user needs to retrieve the station, they can try either by directly entering the Facility ID number or do a dialscape search by entering the community of license (or a nearby community) and look for the facility on the list of stations.
ROOT CAUSE
An investigation of the code showed the FCCdata was still using CDBS as a source of call sign data. Despite that, we cannot discount the issue with the LMS facility table not showing unbuilt construction permits. But in the instant case, it was old code still looking at CDBS.
IMPLEMENTED FIX
We have modified the code to now go to the eLMS facility file, which is even more updated than the LMS raw data's version. We have also added code to prevent the entry of "NEW" as the queried call sign. Those looking for new facilities should search either by facility ID number or by community.
This case is open as of 8-2-22 at 1:15PM ET.
This case is closed as of 8-3-22 at 7:55AM ET
