Only stations appearing on the March 17, 1997 Public Notice ("Public Notice") announcing a revised AM expanded band allotment plan may file applications for new commercial AM stations in the expanded band. Applicants must use FCC Form 301. The filing fee is $2740 and the filing code is "MUR". Consult the Mass Media Bureau Application Fee Filing Guide for details.
No. Complete Sections I, V-A and VII only. See the Filing Instructions for AM Expanded Band Allotments for detailed instructions. If the expanded band facility requires the modification of your currently authorized facility, a separate modification application on FCC Form 301 also must be filed for the existing band station. This latter filing should cross-reference the expanded band station application.
No. Competing applications will not be accepted.
Yes. After the staff determines that an application is acceptable for filing it will be placed on a "B" cut-off list. This will start a 30-day period for the filing of petitions to deny.
Daytime, the 5 mV/m contour must encompass the entire principal community to be served. Nighttime, 50% of the principal community must be encompassed by the 5 mV/m or the nighttime interference-free contour, whichever value is higher.
Model I facilities are defined in 47 C.F.R. Section 73.14 of the rules as a station broadcasting in stereo in the expanded band which operates with a power of 10 kW daytime, 1 kW nighttime using a non-directional or simple direction antenna system. See 47 C.F.R. Section 73.14.
Yes.
No. The radiator can be taller or shorter than 90 electrical degrees. If the station is located in the border area, it may be necessary to reduce antenna input power to the level which achieves the equivalent fields as produced by a 90 degree radiator. If a tower shorter than 90 electrical degrees is proposed, it must be capable of producing the minimum field strength for a Class "B" station of 282 mV/m/kW at 1 km.
Probably not. The revised allotment plan is based on fully spaced Model I non-directional facilities. Accordingly, directional antenna systems will not be necessary to offset "marginal" short-spacings. See Review of the Technical Assignment Criteria for the AM Broadcast Service, 6 FCC Rcd 6273, 6305 (1991) ("Report and Order"). However, the Report and Order recognized that it might be advantageous to permit directional antennas in coastal areas. Thus, the Commission has provided the staff with limited flexibility in this area. However, absent extraordinary circumstances, non-directional antenna systems will be required.
No. The Commission will consider opportunities for additional expanded band assignments one year after the allotment plan becomes final.
Yes. The technical parameters of the existing station will not change if one of the existing towers is also used for the expanded band transmissions. It will be necessary to diplex the two signals. This will necessitate the use of filters in the power feed line to each transmitter to prevent radio frequency energy on one frequency from flowing back into the other transmitter and possibly creating intermodulation interference.
Yes. In the Report and Order, 6 FCC Rcd at 6313, the Commission stated that it would delete expanded band allotments where neither an authorization has been issued nor an application is pending one year after the initial allotment plan has become final.
47 C.F.R. Section 73.30(c) states that a petitioner awarded an allotment will have sixty (60) days from the date the public notice of selection to file an application for construction permit. The Memorandum Opinion and Order that was released simultaneously with the revised expanded band allotment plan extended the filing period to ninety days. A waiver of this requirement would require a traditional "good cause" showing. See 47 C.F.R. Section 1.3.
Yes. Applicants must comply with all "new station" publication requirements.
No. Expanded band stations are not counted for multiple ownership purposes.
No. Once your expanded band facility is built and licensed, you may surrender your existing band license for cancellation.
Yes. There are no Commission rules which either prohibit or require separate programming of the existing band and expanded band stations.
No. Expanded band and existing band stations must have different calls. A licensee may, of course, transfer the existing band station's call to the expanded band station. Applicants should leave the "Call Letter" box (Section 1, Question 1) and "Call Sign question (Section V-A, Question 1) blank on Form 301.
No. Five years after the issuance of an expanded band construction permit, one of the two authorizations must be surrendered. The choice is solely at the licensee's discretion.