For the past 9 months, the FCC has provided an opportunity for FM translators including the many that were applied for in the 2003 "Great Translator Invasion" window to be moved up to 250 miles from their current location in order to rebroadcast an AM station as part of Commissioner Ajit Pai's "AM Revitalization" program.

Based on all of the FM Translator modification and "modify CP applications" filed, 144 of them specified facilities that either resulted in or maintained a §73.807 short spacing to an LPFM station.  

Today, the Federal Communications Commission issued a public notice to announce Stage 3 of the Broadcast Spectrum Incentive Auction.  In this announcement, the Commission has announced a clearing target of 108 megahertz of spectrum between 584 and 698 MHz (this does not include the channel 37 spectrum between 608-614 MHz which is not used for broadcast television).  This will mean that television has been reduced to 31 channels (channels 2 to 32).

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: