One part of the FCC strategy to “save” AM radio is to allow each AM station a once in a lifetime chance to move an existing FM translator up to 250 miles. An FM translator is a device that takes a radio signal and rebroadcasts it on an alternate frequency, or in this case, a different radio band. FM translators are limited by rule to 250 watts, may not originate its own programming and for this type of translator must generally live inside the protected contour of the AM station. For pre-1986 AM stations that must go off the air completely at sunset, the FM Translator can stay on all night while the AM station is silent. This could be important to small town America, except most AM stations have no humans working at 2 AM.<\/p>\n
The first round of AM stations allowed to acquire and move were class C and class D stations, the small stations you find in rural America that reach maybe 5 or 10 miles. There are currently 8,908 licensed FM translators, which were originally intended to rebroadcast FM stations, and since the George W Bush administration rebroadcast religious programming delivered by satellite. <\/p>\n
With the initial change in policy a few years ago, and the change this year encouraging AM stations to broadcast on FM in order to “Save” AM radio, there are 1,819<\/strong> AM stations rebroadcasting on FM using a low powered translator. It has been true for a long time that a full power FM station can rebroadcast the programming of an AM station. In a situation like that, adding an FM Translator would free up the FM station to do something else. FM translators do not count against ownership limits in a market.<\/p>\n What is changing today is that class A (50 kW clear channel) and Class B regional stations now can add an FM translator by moving a translator up to 250 miles. The going price to acquire an FM translator license is around $15,000. The hard part is finding an available FM frequency in major markets that won’t interfere with an existing FM station. In theory, this could mean stations like WABC or WOR in New York could start broadcasting on FM, but that would require an existing FM station to move or agree that they don’t care about interference.<\/p>\n There are currently 4,671 licensed AM radio stations, so close to half already have an FM translator. There are 73 Class A and 1,752 Class B stations that are eligible today to buy and\/or move an existing FM translator license. Once this once in a lifetime move happens, that FM translator is locked to that AM station for 3 years.<\/p>\n If you think it odd that the way to save AM radio by moving it to FM is illogical, you are not alone.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" One part of the FCC strategy to “save” AM radio is to allow each AM station a once in a lifetime chance to move an existing FM translator up to 250 miles. An FM translator is a device that takes … Continue reading