C4 FM Proposal Issued as Notice of Inquiry
The FCC issued a notice of inquiry Tuesday on creating a C4 FM class, likely indicating an eventual rule on the matter isn’t an agency priority, a broadcast attorney told us. Though the NOI seeks comment on creating the new…
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class, the agency likely would have to issue an NPRM before proceeding to an order, the attorney said. When Chairman Ajit Pai in February announced that a C4 item had been circulated on the eighth floor, he described it as an NPRM (see 1802060049). A C4 class would allow owners of Class A FM stations to upgrade their stations, and was first suggested by Pai before he was appointed chairman. Since the C4 stations would have primary status, some broadcasters worried the new class would threaten the many translators authorized under the Pai-supported AM revitalization (see 1802140060). “We would be reluctant to adopt any proposal in this area that would have a significantly negative impact on FM translators and LPFM stations,” the NOI said in two places. The NOI seeks comment on how the new class could work without impacting translators, and without increasing the noise floor on the FM band. The full commission, including outgoing Commissioner Mignon Clyburn, approved the NOI (see 1805180042).