FCC Issues New Interference Process For FM Translators

The Federal Communications Commission Thursday adopted a Report and Order that streamlines and improves the FM translator interference complaint and resolution process.

FM translator stations rebroadcast the signal of an AM or FM station. The increasing number of FM translator stations, as well as their growing economic importance for AM and digital FM stations, has led to industry interest in improving the rules governing FM translator interference complaints.

Currently, even one listener complaint, at any distance from the desired FM station, can result in an FM translator station having to cease operations. Moreover, there are often prolonged disputes over the validity of the interference claim.

Today’s Order provides additional certainty and reduces the costs and burdens of the existing interference claim and resolution process by:

• Allowing translator operators to change frequency to any available same-band channel as a minor change in response to interference issues
• Establishing a minimum number of listener complaints, proportionate to the population the complaining station serves, that a station would need to submit with any claim of interference
• Standardizing the contents of each listener complaint
• Establishing interference resolution procedures that permit, but do not require, complaining listeners to cooperate with remediation efforts, and implementing an alternative, technically-based process for demonstrating that interference has been resolved
• Establishing an outer contour limit for actionable interference complaints while allowing waivers of that limit for interference complaints that meet specified criteria

The NAB said the FCC deserves credit for endorsing a common-sense compromise for reviewing FM radio listener complaints that may arise from FM translator interference. “FM translators have been enormously helpful extending the reach of AM radio stations,” said NAB Executive Vice President of Communications Dennis Wharton. “We’re pleased the FCC continues to embrace ideas that foster the revitalization of AM radio.”

Commissioner Geoffrey Starks said that even though translators receive only secondary protection, “They are crucial parts of our radio landscape.”

“This item considers the robust record to try to balance interference concerns with the need for both FM stations and translators to continue to provide service to listeners,” he added.

According to RadioWorld, there has been ongoing discussion by broadcasters and industry stakeholders about the final contour limits that the FCC planned to establish. The FCC had initially discussed an outer contour limit of 54 dBμ, though organizations like the New Jersey Broadcasters Association expressed concerns about how that proposed limit would impact stations. 

The commission determined that setting a complaint limit at the 45 dBμ contour “best balances full-service, secondary service, and listener interests by providing a contour limit that encompasses the bulk of full-service core listenership while limiting complaints at the margins of listenable coverage,” the FCC said in its proposed draft order.