I was saddened when I read the news that Media Access Project will be suspending operations as of May 1, 2012.

MAP worked "behind the scenes" for over a decade providing the legal support for ally organizations such as Prometheus Radio Project on LPFM and other media justice issues.

Unfortunately, in this current economy, many non-profits are being impacted by dwindling budgets due to declines in fundraising.

During the past decade+ that I have been involved in LPFM, MAP was very instrumental in what we are all fighting for.

Let's hope this suspension is just that, a suspension and hopefully someday, the organization will resume operations.

Michi Eyre
founder, REC Networks

The Federal Communications Commission has issued two Report and Orders (R&O), Orders on Reconsideration and a Fourth Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) in the matter of Low Power FM and FM Translators.

FOURTH REPORT AND ORDER

INTERPRETATION OF LCRA SECTION 5
In the Fourth Report and Order, the FCC addresses Section 5 of the Local Community Radio Act (LCRA) that addresses the status of balancing FM translators with current and future LPFM opportunities. The FCC will adopt their proposed interpretations as mentioned in the Third NPRM:
• Section 5(1) requires that some minimum number of LPFM and Translator licenses be made available throughout the nation when licensing new LPFM and Translator stations.

Re: In the Matter of Standardized and Enhanced Disclosure Requirements for Television Broadcast Licensee Public Interest Obligations, MM Docket No. 00-168; and Standardizing Program Reporting Requirements for Broadcast Licensees, MB Docket No. 11-189

The FCC has prevented an FM station from doing a metro "move-in".

The station at issue is KTIA-FM, currently licensed to Boone, IA to Truth Broadcasting. KTIA has filed a minor change application to move the station to Johnston, IA. In response, LPFM station KFMG-LP, licensed to Des Moines Community Radio Foundation filed an informal objection.

The issue at hand is whether the community of license change would result in a preferential arrangement of allotments in comparison with its current service.