AM radio industry trying for a slice of FM frequencies

Sep 15, 2015 9:59 pm
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John Anderson in DIYmedia.net reports that the National Association of Broadcasters are currently lobbying the Federal Communications Commission hard to allow AM radio stations to acquire FM translators. The FCC is considering ways to revitalize the AM band, and, apparently, the commericial radio industry thinks broadcasting on FM frequencies is the best method to fix AM radio. So far, the FCC has been resistant to allowing AM stations to rebroadcast their same signals on FM translator stations, keeping those frequencies for stations creating original content. "In the last month, a motley crew of advocates for more FM translators have been making the rounds at FCC HQ. These include trade groups, individual broadcasters and other interested parties," Anderson writes, saying that existing translators have been priced out of reach for small broadcasters, who want a new translator filing window exclusively for AM broadcasters. But Anderson also points out that the industry is not offering any prohibitions on AM stations selling any valuable translator permits that would result from a new filing window. Read the full story at DIYmedia.net. (FULL DISCLOSURE: John Anderson is on Wave Farm's board.)