Anatomy of an LPFM denial

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FCCDillingham Christian Radio was on its way to getting an LPFM pursuant to the 2000 filing window when it was required to register its proposed antenna with the FAA. This it failed to do. The FCC has rejected a plea for reconsideration of DCR’s shot-down LPFM proposal.


DCR said that the reason it never responded to the antenna request was that its president was out of town for an extended period of time on business. It also noted that there were no competing applicants, meaning no other licensee who would suffer if DCR received the grant; that the FCC had advertised lower standards than usual to encourage the LPFM service; and that granting the LPFM would be in the public interest.

The FCC countered:

* Even if the DCR president was incommunicado, there was a consulting engineer, counsel and eight other directors involved with the project, and that surely one among this group could have filled out the one-page form that was needed in this case;

* While it is true that the FCC was more relaxed in some respects regarding LPFM, the issue at the center of this case was not one of them;

* While it agrees that the station would be in the public interest, the public is being deprived solely by the failure of DCR to act.

But all is not lost. The FCC noted the new LPFM application window thatwill be opening from 10/15/13 to 10/29/13, and suggested that licensee-wannabes such as DCR apply lessons such as the one at hand to a new attempt to gain an LPFM license.