LPAM comments for FCC

[W1DAN]

Low-Power AM? (Not FM) It’s no joke — the FCC has opened a rulemaking to look into it. Activists have
been pushing for LPAM in the expanded band (1610-1700 KHz) since mid-2003. They got no action from
the Michael Powell FCC. But the alliance tried again in August to see if the results under Kevin Martin were
any different. They were. The Media Bureau issued a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking. The groups —
collectively calling themselves The LPAM Network — insist that LPAM would operate “as a complementary
counterpart” to Low Power FM. But they say things should be done differently for the AM band. Like letting LPAMs sell advertising. (Stations should be “commercial and entrepreneurial.”) For spacing purposes the stations would be assumed to be 1,000 watts though their maximum actual wattage would be 100 watts.
(But higher in rural areas.) The proponents want LPAM licensees to be able to own up to 12 stations
nationally and eventually grow “large enough to fill the current gap between small stations and megacorporations.”
We’d ask — isn’t the AM band (even the expanded band) jammed enough?

The FCC’s collecting comments through November 21. (To file or read comments, it’s RM-11287)

 
73
Dan
W1DAN

[2ZE]

I see you got your copy of Radio World too

My personal feeling on this is there are enough radio station operators who don't care
about thier licenses as it is. Why cram more licensee's in the AM band.
It also smacks of the original LPFM debate where an operator in Fla. proposed that LPFM's could run up to 6Kw and you could own up to 4 in a market essentially creating your own little "conglomorate".
Besides many of those filing would be bible beaters running canned satellite "our god is a vengeful god!!" type programming. The original intent of serving a small community with useful local programming gets bastardized and lost in the end.

Mike, 2ZE