NEWS FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION 1919 M STREET, N.W. WASHINGTON, D.C. 20554 News media information 202/418-0500 Fax-On-Demand 202/418-2830 Internet: http://www.fcc.gov/ ftp.fcc.gov Report No. MM 97-13 MASS MEDIA ACTION August 22, 1997 COMMISSION REDUCES FILING REQUIREMENTS FOR CERTAIN AM, FM, AND TV MINOR CHANGES (MM DOCKET 96-58) The FCC has streamlined its processes to eliminate the construction permit presently required for certain minor changes to facilities for AM, FM, and TV stations. This change will ease administrative burdens and paperwork for broadcasters who wish to make minor changes to their facilities. Presently, a minor change requires the filing and grant of a construction permit prior to implementation, followed by the filing and grant of a license application after implementation. The new process will eliminate the present two step process for the circumstances covered below, reducing the filing requirements to a single step -- the filing of a simpler modification-of-license application once the changes have been implemented. This Report and Order also changes and modifies other rules to codify existing policies. These rules will become effective 60 days after publication in the Federal Register. A "ONE-STEP" MODIFICATION OF LICENSE APPLICATION, in lieu of a construction permit and a license application, may be used to accomplish the following: *Most commercial FM stations which comply with Section 73.207 spacing rules to all other stations, and which are not operating with the maximum permitted facilities, may increase effective radiated power (ERP) to the maximum permitted for the station class. *Commercial FM stations and most TV stations presently operating with zero or reduced vertically polarized power, may increase the vertically polarized ERP up to the authorized horizontal ERP without a construction permit. *Noncommercial educational stations presently operating with zero or reduced vertically polarized ERP may also increase the vertical ERP up to the authorized horizontal ERP, provided that the FM station is not located near a TV Channel 6 station. *Decreases in ERP will be permitted for FM stations, provided that the required coverage to the community of license is maintained. *The Section 73.215 contour protection designation for an FM commercial station may be deleted where a short-spaced station has moved away, allowing the contour protection station to become fully spaced per Section 73.207. *If an FM or TV antenna is replaced, or for installation of a new antenna, the applicant may mount the antenna up to 2 meters above or 4 meters below the value specified on its license or construction permit. - 2 - *FM and TV directional antennas may be replaced under certain circumstances. *Former licensed main auxiliary applications for FM and TV stations may be relicensed as auxiliary (backup) facilities without a construction permit, even at changed power or where the auxiliary facility must change frequency to match that of the main station. AM stations may reduce power for an auxiliary facility which was previously licensed on the same frequency as the primary station. *Commercial stations may file a modification-of-license application to become licensed as noncommercial educational. Conversely, some noncommercial educational stations in the commercial FM band or television bands may become licensed as commercial via the same means. Additional Policies and Rules added/changed/revised by the Report and Order: *FM directional stations may commence program test operations at half power while awaiting staff review of the license application. This eliminates a 10 day wait between final installation of the antenna and the start of operations. *Requests for waiver of the main studio rule (47 CFR Section 73.1125) may be submitted by letter, eliminating the requirement for a Form 301 or Form 340 application. *A new rule 47 CFR Section 73.316(c)(9) is added to codify the policy which requires that the measured FM directional pattern be at least 85% of the authorized composite FM directional pattern for contour protection stations authorized under Section 73.215 or 73.509. *A new rule 47 CFR Section 73.1692 is added which will codify the current conditions imposed on construction permits for AM, FM, and TV stations which are authorized to construct on or near AM stations. *A new rule 47 CFR Section 73.525(e)(1)(vii) is added to address the matter of FM noncommercial educational stations which propose to locate very near (within the 90 dBu contour) of a TV Channel 6 station. *Mass Media Bureau policy on use of supplemental contour prediction methods for FM stations is explained, including what showings are permitted and what information should be provided. Action by the Commission August 14, 1997, by Report and Order (FCC 97-290). Chairman Hundt, Commissioners Quello, Ness and Chong. - FCC - News Media contact: Maureen Peratino at (202) 418-0500. Mass Media contact: Dale Bickel at (202) 418-2720 or dbickel@fcc.gov