Click on the banner to learn more...

McCain, NAB react to LPFM report

Sen. John McCain (R-AZ), who has wielded the power of his chairmanship of the influential Senate Commerce Committee to battle against increased consolidation in the broadcasting industry, hailed the FCC's decision to push for liberalized licensing standards for LPFM stations.

"Four years ago, broadcasters masqueraded their concern about competition from new low power FM stations in grossly exaggerated claims of interference." said McCain in a release. "Today, the FCC has stripped the broadcasters of this disguise by concluding that these stations would cause virtually no interference, and recommending the removal of certain limits on such stations.

McCain is planning to turn the FCC's report into legislative language in the very near future.

"While it may be too late to turn back the clock on the radio consolidation that has occurred, low power FM may be one means of providing the public with a locally-oriented alternative to huge national radio networks."

And NAB spokesperson Dennis Wharton had this to say: "It is unfortunate the FCC is relying on the deeply flawed Mitre study in making its recommendation to Congress. Local radio listeners should not be subjected to the inevitable interference that would result from shoehorning more stations onto an already overcrowded radio dial."

It's not just the NAB that objected to eliminating third adjacent channel interference protections. National Public Radio, the Radio Reading Services for

the Blind, and the Consumer Electronics Association all raised serious questions about eliminating interference protections that have been in place at the FCC for more than three decades.

RBR observation:

The addition of HD Radio digital signals (two per FM analog station) will add more interference to analog stations on the dial than any amount of LPFMs ever will. However, that interference will mainly be caused to stations outside the immediate market that can currently be received by a relatively small number in that market, depending upon where they live. Most radios today can handle increased crowding on the dial, due to improved selectivity technology over the years. In Europe, they worry more about first adjacent channel interference than third.