“Relevant Radio” is the brand name of a radio service operated by Immaculate Heart Radio (IHR).  Relevant Radio is a 24-hour Catholic programming service that provides a noncommercial programming source to affiliated stations across the country as well as through digital delivery.  IHR, operating as Relevant Radio, Inc. owns several dozen full-service AM and FM broadcast stations and has been commended in the past by REC for preserving the legacy call letters of the stations that they acquire, including the infamous KHJ, Los Angeles.  A couple of years ago, IHR had converted their stations from noncommercial educational to commercial and in their markets have been selling time.  This, while maintaining a noncommercial stream for affiliated stations not owned by IHR. 

With the upcoming vacancy on the Federal Communications Commission as a result of the end of Commissioner O’Rielly’s term that has not been renewed by the President, the current administration has the right to nominate someone to serve as a Commissioner at the FCC.  It is important to remember that the Commission consists of two members from the majority party and two from the minority party and the Chairman, who reflects the majority party at the time.

The Federal Communications Commission has denied a Petition for Reconsideration filed in MB Docket 19-3 (the NCE/LPFM administrative rulemaking proceeding) on procedural grounds, upholding the long-standing “one winner per group” policy when resolving mutually exclusive (MX)/competing applications where multiple applications could not be granted due to contour overlap (NCE) or distance separation (LPFM) requirements.  

The Petition, filed by Discount Legal called for the Commission to re-look at “secondary grants”, which are situations of where, after eliminating less than qualified applications or applications that did not meet FCC requirements would create a “stray” applicant that would otherwise be grantable if the unqualified applicants are removed. 

REC Networks has filed a statement with the FCC in MB Docket 19-193 to offer a compromise solution that would allow LPFM stations to use “hand me down” transmitters that were formerly in service by other broadcast and FM translator stations while still protecting the integrity of the spectrum from dangerous uncertified equipment.

In our Opposition to the two Petitions for Reconsideration filed in this proceeding, REC addressed some concerns to the petition filed by Todd Urick where it comes to permitting transmitters that have not been specifically type-certified into the LPFM service.  Currently, §73.1660(a)(2) requires LPFM stations to use certified transmitters.

In our Reply statement, REC has recognized that LPFM stations have had to miss out on opportunities to receive used surplus transmission equipment that may have been recently removed from service at a full-service or FM translator station due to changes at the station such as a digital audio chain and/or HD Radio.