Canada Agreement

The following is Section 4 of the Working Arrangement for the Allotment and Assignment of FM Broadcasting Channels under the Agreement between the Government of Canada and the Government of the United States of America relating to the FM Broadcasting Service, effective February, 1991 as amended by the letter dated July 9, 1997.   We have merged the language of the amendment into the original agreement in this document.  Section 4 deals with Low Power FM radio stations (which includes FM Translators and FM Boosters). 

1. Preamble

Mutual undertakings concerning the allotment and assignment of FM Broadcasting Channels by Canada and the United States in the area lying within 320 kilometres of their common border are set out in the Agreement between the Government of the United States of America and the Government of Canada relating to the FM broadcasting service (1989 FM Agreement). This Agreement set out herein  states the basis upon which the Canadian and United States Administrations shall consider responses to border  area FM channel allotments and assignments proposed byu the other Administration pursuant to the Agreement.

2. Basic Prinicples

2.1 Channel designation

FM broadcast channels are alloted in the band 88 to 108 MHz and are 200 kHz wide. Their center frequencies begin at 88.1 MHz and continue in successive steps up to and including 107.9 MHz as set forth in Annex I.  FM allotments and assignments are classified in accordance with 2.2 and must confim with the distance separations under 2.4.

2.2 Classification and Maximum Parameters of Allotments and Assignments

2.2.1 The classes and maximum parameters are as follows:

(US Class C2 shall be considered Class B for the purposes of the above table.  Canadian Class A1 shall be considered as Class A for the purposes of the above table).

2.2.2 The maximum ERP iin any plane of polarization must not exceed the maximum ERP permitted for the allotment or the assignment.

2.3 Antenna heights and equivalence

2.3.1 Where antenna heights exceed those shown in 2.2.1, the ERP shall be reduced to provide equivalence with maximum parameters. Equivalence means that the 1 mV/m (60 dBu) contour remains at the same location that is determined by the attached F(50, 50) propagation curves and the maximum parameters for the class of the assignment.  Moreover, it is required that the interference contour for the equivalent parameters not exeed that determined by the attached F(50, 10) propagaiton curves and the maximum parameters allowed.  Where limited allotments are concerned, the agreed upon paramters shall be used instead of the maximum allowable paramters.

Where allotments are concerned, (existing or proposed) transmitting coordinates shall be used to determine equivalence.  For allotments, city reference coordinates should be used.

2.3.2 Existing stations operating with parameters in excess of those specified in 2.2.1 may continue to operate as previously notified or with equivalent paramters.

2.4 Minimum distance separation

Minimum Distance Separation Requirements in kilometres

(US Class C2 shall be considered as Class B for the purposes of the above table.  Canadian Class A1 shall be considered as Class A for the purposes of the above table). 

2.5 Transmitter locations

AN FM transmitter stite shall be located as to serve the city to which the channel is assigned and to mote the overall efficiency of the allotment plan. Transmitter sites thall be located so the separations are not less than those set forth in 2.4 except when specifically agreed to by each Administration.

2.6 Computation of distance and azimuth

2.6.1 Where transmitter sites have been established the distance shall be determined using the coordinates of the transmitter sites. If a transmitter site has not been established, the community's reference coordinates shall be used.

2.6.2 The distance between reference points  is considered to be the length of the hypotenuse of a right-angle triangle, one side of which is the difference in latitude of the reference points and hte other side the difference in longitude of two reference points, and shall be computed as follows:

2.6.2.1 Convert latitude and longitude into degrees and decimal parts of a degree.  Determine the middle latitude of the two refecne points (average the latitudes of the two points).

LATM = ((LAT1 + LAT2) / 2)

2.6.2.2 Determine the number of kilometers per degree of latitude difference for the determined middie latitude.

LATK = 111.108 - 0.566 cos (2 LATM)

2.6.2.3 Determine the number of kilometers per degree of longitude difference for the determined middle latitude.

LONGK = 111.391 cos (LATM) - 0.095 cos (3 LATM)

2.6.2.4 Determine the north-south distance in kilometres

LAT = LATK (LAT1 - LAT2)

2.6.2.5 Determine the east-west distance in kilometres.

LONG = LONGK (LONG1 - LONG2)

2.6.2.6 Determine the distance between the reference points by the square root of the sub of the squares of the dstances obtained.

DIST = (LAT² + LONG²)^1/2

where:

LAT1 & LONG1 = coordinates of  one location in decimal degrees;

LAT2 & LONG2 = coordinates of second location in decimal degrees;

LATM = middle latitude between points;

LATK = kilometres per degree of latitude difference;

LONGK = kilometres per degree of longitude difference;

LAT = north-south distance in kilometers;

LONG = east-west distance in kilometres; and

DIST = distance between the two reference points in kilometres.

When computing the above, sufficient decimal figures shall be used to determine the distance to the nearest kilometre.

2.6.3 When it is necessary to calculate the angle or azimuth between true north and the connecting radial from one reference point to another, the following procedure shall apply:

2.6.3.1 Convert latitude and longitude into degrees and decimal parts of a degree.

2.6.3.2 Determine the arc length in degrees between the two reference locations

d = cos-1:sin(LAT2)sin(LAT1+cos(LAT2) cos(LAT1) cos(LONG-LONG2).

2.6.3.3 Calculate the azimuth. (If the second location is west of the intitial location, subtract the result from 360; i.e., 360 - AZM). 

AZM = cos--1 [sin(LAT2) - sin(LAT1) cos(d) / cos(LAT1 sin(d)]

where

LAT1 & LONG1 = coordinates of  one location in decimal degrees;

LAT2 & LONG2 = coordinates of second location in decimal degrees;

d = are length between locations in decimal degrees;

AZM = angle between true north (0 degrees) and the connecting radial in decimal degrees in the clockwise direction.

In computing the baove, sufficient decimal figures shall be used to determine the azimuth to the nearest degree.

3. Allotments and Assignments

4. Low Power FM Stations

4.1 LPFM stations are secondary assignments which operate on a non-interference, no-protection basis with respect to existing or future primary assignments.  However, they are assigned on a protected basis with respect to each other according to their date of notification. 

4.2 LPFM assignments may be made on any channel from 201 to 300, whether or not the channels are listed in the FM Allotment Tables attached.

4.3 LPFM stations may be allowed an effective radiated power not to exceed 50 watts in any direction and an interference contour (34 dBu) not to exceed 32 km subject to 4.1 and 4.2 above.

4.4 For coordination purposes, only proposals for such stations with 32 kilometres of the common border need to be referred for concurrence.

4.5 Should any interference be caused by an LPFM station to a primary FM or a previously notified LPFM assignment, the offending station must immediately change to a suitable channel or cease operation.  The use of a channel by an LPFM station shall not prejudice in any matter the use of this channel for a primary assignment.