The FCC Media Bureau is poised to hit...

changes to Form 318 to implement eligibility terms and the criteria adopted in the rulemaking proceeding, said Parul Desai, an adviser in the division. Hundreds of applicants have taken advantage of the Consolidated Database System to start the application process, she said. The commission dismissed 4,000 Auction 83 proposals to prepare for new LPFMs, she said. Of the 6,350 Auction 83 applications for FM translators that were on file in December 2012, “only eight have not either been dismissed, provided the opportunity to submit a long-form application, or given the opportunity to submit a settlement agreement,” said Jim Bradshaw of the Audio Division. The bureau’s efforts could result in the authorization of 1,700 new FM translator construction permits during 2013, he said, a 30 percent increase in the number of authorized translators in the U.S. Acting FCC Chairwoman Mignon Clyburn urged the commission to prepare for what could be hundreds or tens of thousands of applications filed in the LPFM window. The sustainability of the LPFM service “is directly tied to its ability to attract listeners in our urban centers,” she said. “These stations will be able to achieve significant coverage of densely populated neighborhoods.” Commissioners Jessica Rosenworcel and Ajit Pai agreed that new LPFM stations will foster diversity and localism. When the window opens, Rosenworcel said she hopes applicants will show the FCC “in force how low-power FM can become a more vibrant part of community broadcasting, a source of new content, a driver of new music, [and] a platform for unique local news.” Pai praised the bureau for hitting the intended target date of the LPFM filing window. “I encourage community organizations across the country to take advantage of this opportunity and look forward to hearing the programming they will produce in the years to come.”