In Thursday’s edition of the Federal Register, the Federal Communications Commission has announced that it has received approval from the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) on various rule changes involving information collection and/or changes to forms.

The following is a first Advisory Letter from REC Networks to Low Power FM (LPFM) stations operating on reserved band channels 201~220 (88.1~91.9) and on channel 221 (92.1), which is first adjacent to channel 220 (91.9) to inform these stations about an upcoming filing window at the FCC for primary full-service facilities that can cause interference to or displace secondary LPFM stations.

In 2021, the Federal Communications Commission is planning to hold a filing window for new full-service noncommercial educational (NCE) broadcast stations in the “reserved band” (channels 201~220, frequencies 88.1~91.9).  This window will be for new full-service “full-power” FM broadcast stations with effective radiated powers of up to 50 or 100 kW, depending on which portion of the country the station is located in.   The last such filing window was conducted in 2007.  Stations from this window could be on the air as soon as very late 2021 or 2022.

In order to protect the integrity of the LPFM service by preventing commercial influence through speculation and “shadow ownership” (control of a station by an undisclosed third party), REC has filed Informal Objections against applications where it was supsected that speculative behavior was taking place. In other words, a single party filing for multiple facilities with the intention of either building a radio network or to sell the permits to other parties for a profit. 

There continues to be confusion in the Amateur Radio community on how we reached this point with proposed application fees in the Amateur Radio Service.  Some have said that an "exemption for Amateur Radio was removed with RAY BAUM'S". That both is correct and incorrect.  You need to understand the 1986 law and the progress from then to the enactment of RAY BAUM'S. 

Here is some clarification on the way it used to be.  Prior to RAY BAUMS, Public Law 99-272, which was enacted in 1986 stated in Section 158 of the Communications Act, that the Commission shall charge application fees.  Those fees were listed as a fixed table. Amateur Radio was not included as a price point.