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In this Fifth Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM), FCC 22-40, released June 7, 2022, the Commission seeks comment on the operation of analog FM radio services by channel 6 digital low power television stations. The Commission also seeks comment on a proposal by National Public Radio to license additional noncommercial educational FM radio stations on 82-88 MHz in areas where channel 6 low power television and full-power stations are currently not operating. Finally, the Commission seeks comment on whether to eliminate or revise the television channel 6 distance separation rules for FM radio stations operating on reserved band FM channels 201-220.

In this document the Federal Communications Commission (Commission or FCC) adopts changes to its rules and procedures for FM and Low Power FM (LPFM) broadcast license applicants to allow for verification of FM directional antenna patterns through computer models prepared by the directional antenna's manufacturer. The changes are designed to reduce the cost of designing and building an FM or LPFM directional antenna and, thus, of station construction. The changes are further designed to bring the Commission's rules for the FM and LPFM services into regulatory conformity with its rules governing AM and DTV directional antennas.

This document amends the FM Table of Allotments, of the Federal Communications Commission's (Commission or FCC) rules, by adding Channel 263A at Hamilton, Texas. Channel 263A would provide a second local service at Hamilton, Texas. A staff engineering analysis reveals that Channel 263A can be allotted to Hamilton in conformity with the FCC's rules at reference coordinates 31-39-48.1 NL and 98-21- 29.4 WL. To accommodate the Hamilton allotment, we modify the FM station KNUZ license to specify operation on Channel 291A in lieu of Channel 224A at San Saba, Texas, and the FM station KRNR license to specify Channel 224A in lieu of 263A at Goldthwaite, Texas.

The Commission has before it a petition for rulemaking filed by Maine Public Broadcasting Corporation (Petitioner), the licensee of WMEB, channel *9, Orono, Maine. The Petitioner requests the substitution of channel *22 for channel *9 at Orono in the Table of Allotments.

In this document, the Commission announces that the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) has approved, for a period of three years, the information collections associated with the rules adopted in the Report and Order in MB Docket No. 21-293, FCC 22-5, Revisions to Political Programming and Record-Keeping Rule. This document is consistent with the Report and Order, which stated that the Commission would publish a document in the Federal Register announcing OMB approval and the effective date of the revised rules.

This document requests comments on a Petition for Rule Making filed by Spottswood Partners II, Ltd, proposing to amend the FM Table of Allotments, by allotting Channel 265C3 to Big Coppitt Key, Florida, as the first local service. A staff engineering analysis indicates that Channel 265C3 can be allotted to Big Coppitt Key, Florida, consistent with the minimum distance separation requirements of the Commission's rules (Rules), with a site restriction of 14.5 km (9.0 miles) northeast of the community. The reference coordinates are 24-39-34 NL and 81-32- 17 WL.

This document amends the FM Table of Allotments, of the Commission's rules, by removing Channel 265C2 at Millerton, Oklahoma; Channel 293C2 at Powers, Oregon; Channel 279A at Mount Enterprise, Texas; Channel 296C3 at Paint Rock, Texas; Channel 290A at Hardwick, Vermont; and Channel 259C at Meeteetse, Wyoming. All of these allotments were offered in previous FM auctions and received no bids. We will not delete Channel 259C2 at Snowflake, Arizona, because Estrella Broadcasting LLC filed a bona fide expression of interest.

On March 10, 2022, the Media Bureau, Video Division (Bureau) issued a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) in response to a petition for rulemaking filed by Scripps Broadcasting Holdings LLC (Petitioner), the licensee of KBZK (Station), channel 13, Bozeman, Montana, requesting the substitution of channel 27 for channel 13 at Bozeman in the Table of Allotments. For the reasons set forth in the Report and Order referenced below, the Bureau amends FCC regulations to substitute channel 27 for channel 13 at Bozeman.

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Issued a Notice of Apparent Liability for Forfeiture in the amount of $6,000 to Bent County for public file violations for Stations K29JL-D, K25LE-D, K23KN-D, K27KX-D, Las Animas, Colorado

Issued a Notice of Apparent Liability for Forfeiture in the amount of $1,500 to Promised Land Ministries, Inc. /Light of the World Ministries for public file violations for the Station K36NN-D

Issued a Notice of Apparent Liability for Forfeiture in the amount of $6,000 to Full Gospel Outreach, Inc. for public file violations for Stations K35MZ-D, Las Animas, CO; K04RY-D, Manitou Springs, CO; K39ED-D, Rocky Ford, CO; K42EA-D, Lamar, CO

OVS Memorandum Opinion and Order

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Antenna companies are reacting to the FCC decision allowing computer modeling of directional FM antennas.

“May 19, 2022 is a monumental day for FM broadcasters,” wrote Dielectric in a statement. The manufacturer pressed for the change, along with Shively, RFS and Jampro, as well as broadcast group Educational Media Foundation.

“The FCC adopting new rules allowing the use of computer modeling will ease product-to-market timelines, helping broadcasters upgrade facilities quickly,” it wrote when contacted for comment by Radio World.

“In addition, the increased accuracy and the ability to run infinite patterns to maximize on FCC protections will allow broadcasters ease of mind knowing they are getting the best possible solution, all while not having to wait the traditional timelines for range testing/optimizing.

“At the end of the day,” the company concluded, “their listeners will benefit from this rule change. Dielectric sees this change as significant in the history of FM, and is fully prepared to help all broadcasters seek the best possible solution.”

Radio World also invited comment from Electronics Research Inc., which had opposed the rule change.

“ERI raised some concerns regarding eliminating the requirement to provide measured pattern data with the license filings for directional FM antennas,” wrote Bill Harland, vice president of marketing.

“These objections were based on our experience from decades of full-scale range measurements of directional and nondirectional FM antennas and our experience using computer models to generate pattern predictions for FM arrays.”

Harland said ERI has always had the capability to use computer modeling for directional FM antenna design.

“We will offer that service as an option for directional and nondirectional FM antenna systems. ERI will continue to offer directional FM antennas that include pattern development on our test range and measured results for customer approval and filing with the FCC license application.”

He said the company will also continue to offer full-scale range pattern studies and pattern optimization as optional services. “They are available for all single-channel and multi-channel FM antenna products.”

“We believe ERI’s 50-acre far-field antenna test range is the best facility of its kind and has been in use longer than the antenna measurement facilities used by our competitors. As we showed in our filings in this FCC proceeding, the accuracy of the range and the consistency of its measured results support that belief.”

The post Dielectric Thrilled With FM Modeling Decision appeared first on Radio World.

James Boyd in a photo from his LinkedIn page

Engineer James Boyd has died.

News of his passing Friday at age 76 was shared by Kent Randles, secretary of Chapter 124 of the Society of Broadcast Engineers.

Boyd was well known in the radio technical industry but especially in the northwestern U.S. He owned Boyd Broadcast Technical Services in Oregon, and according to his LinkedIn page he had extensive experience in all aspects of AM and FM engineering.

Earlier in his career he was a chief engineer, operations manager and group chief for Capps Broadcast Group from the late 1960s to the early 1990s; he also had worked for WTD Industries.

An amateur radio enthusiast (K7MKN), he also was a lead inspector for the Alternate Broadcast Inspection Program for the Oregon Association of Broadcasters and the Idaho Broadcasters Association.

Boyd had experience with AM directional antenna systems, including Moment Method proofing as well as AM and FM IBOC system installation and adjustment, and maintained a large fleet of test equipment for all  aspects of AM and FM broadcast systems.

He told author Scott Fybush in a 2008 article for Radio Guide magazine that he “began messing around with electronics when I was eight or nine years old.” Boyd was a member of that publication’s Hall of Achievement. According to that article his first job was at KBND(AM), before he served in Vietnam as a broadcast specialist in the U.S. Army. He founded his company in October 1991, and clients included Entercom, CBS Radio, smaller stations, Harris Corp. and consulting firms Hatfield and Dawson and DuTreil, Lundin & Rackley. He also served on the Oregon Association of Broadcasters board.

According to a Radio World article in 2016, Boyd also was involved in the effort to create a “first informer” credential for Oregon broadcast engineers.

Randles said Sunday that Boyd’s volunteer firefighting work evolved into volunteering for the Tigard, Ore., Community Emergency Response Team, to which he is donating all of his ham radio equipment.

Randles said information on services was pending.

 

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