Supports a C3 allotment over a C allotment for Pahrump
REC has filed comments on an allotment case where the FCC was weighing out two different mutually exclusive proposals:
One proposal moved by Steven M Greeley would have moved a Class B FM station out of Lake Havasu City AZ (transmitter in CA) to be a Class C in Pahrump NV on the same channel.
The second proposal by SSR Communications would have established a Class C3 station without impacting the Lake Havasu station.
REC has gone on record to support the Class C3 allotment over the Class C. If given the choice, REC supports a Class C3 for the following reasons in this case:
A class C station in Pahrump, although shielded by mountains from the Las Vegas urbanized area would be able to put boosters in the western portions of the Las Vegas urbanized areas as this area would still be in the allotment's 60dBu service contour.
A Class C3 that has no possible way of broadcasting in Las Vegas has a better chance serving the Pahurmp area. Currently Pahrump has two allotments, only one Art Bell's KNYE that is truly providing service into the area.
A Class C3 station in Pahrump has enough power to saturate the Pahrump Valley with a quality signal while the Class C would radiate into areas with no population or no throughfares. Such a station would emit more unecessary radio frequency radiation and burn more power.
The class C3 allotment proposed by SSR would meet the needs of the Pahrump city of license and would also not create the reduction of FM services in Lake Havasu and the Lower Colorado River Valley.
REC Networks made it's very first filing with the FCC back in 1995 in the docket that resulted in KNYE, the station owned by the Art Bell (Coast to Coast AM) family.
The class C is the highest power FM broadcast class allowed by the FCC. Class C stations can operate up to 100,00 watts at the highest possible transmitter sites and have a protected service contour of over 90km.
The Class B is the most powerful stations available in California south of 40 degrees north latitude. Class B stations can operate up to 50,000 watts at a height of 150m above average terrain.
Class C3 stations can operate up to 25,000 watts at a height of 100m above average terrain. Class C3 stations have a protected service contour of 39km.
To view the filing, please go to the FCC's Electronic Filing Comment System at:
http://gullfoss2.fcc.gov/prod/ecfs/retrieve.cgi?native_or_pdf=pdf&id_do…
For more information on the allotments process including the special filing rules for these proceedings, see the REC Networks allotments page at:
http://www.recnet.com/allotments
REC Networks involves itself in the Allotments process because it can impact how rural communities receive vital radio services. In addition, decisions made in the allotments process can have an impact on current and future Low Power FM (LPFM) broadcast stations.
