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FCC quote from document: Today, AM radio remains an important source of broadcast entertainment and information programming, particularly for locally oriented content. AM broadcasters provide unique, community-based programming to distinguish themselves from other media sources in an increasingly competitive mass media market. (citation omitted) For example, all-news/talk, all-sports, foreign language, and religious programming formats are common on the AM band. Indeed, over 90 percent of all news/talk stations operate on the AM band. (citation omitted) Local programming is also prevalent on the AM dial, including discussions of local news, politics and public affairs, traffic announcements, and coverage of community events such as high school athletic contests.
If the FCC hadn’t given the entire FM band to the big money players, you wouldn’t have this problem. All forms of radio programming would have made a natural and viable transition to the FM. Now the AM band is the only place for anyone wanting to explore programming diversity to get started without needing tons of money. Used to be you could buy small FMs in large markets for a few hundred thousand. Not after Ronnie Reagan and the Republican schmucks in Congress started chipping away at ownership limits. The internet and interference did not kill the AM band, Congress did . . . all in the interest of the big getting bigger.
And again (re: KXYQ-LP)
Conclusion/Actions. For these reasons, IT IS ORDERED, that the Petition filed by Bustos Media Holdings, LLC, on January 2, 2019, IS GRANTED (see next paragraph) to the extent indicated herein and IS DENIED in all other respects.(DENIED as in that Bustos translator app.)
IT IS FURTHER ORDERED, that Friends of Portland Community Radio, Dylan Berichon, William Schmidt, Michelle Bolin, Derric Crooks, Kimberley Goddard, and Scott Seckington, ARE ADMONISHED for their violation of 47 CFR § 1.47(d). (Not forwarding “ex parte presentations” to Bustos.)
Sincerely,
James D. Bradshaw
Senior Deputy Chief
Audio Division Media BureauI just noticed that KJRB Spokane is now licensed non-directional for 34 watts at night! I’ve seen some stations drop their nighttime directional but those are usually smaller stations. KJRB was a major player!
The 4-tower DA that NEVER WORKED. KGA & KJRB. No need to make it work apparently since both have 250 watt translators in town. KGA will be running 540 watts at night not even getting into Spokane. They’re dropping all but one tower at their site. Wouldn’t be supprised if they diplexed with another in town. But…Bet they can’t even sell the property the current towers are on since it’s a “wetlands”.
Also Radio Locator does not show KJRB-AM on the Spokane stations list. It does show the FM Translator. A long decline for what once a great station, which I knew as KNEW.
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BUSTOS MEDIA HOLDINGS, LLC, APPLICATION FOR CONSTRUCTION PERMIT FOR FM TRANSLATOR STATION K260DK, PORTLAND, OREGON. FCC rescinds grant of application for construction permit for K260DK, Portland, Oregon and dismisses application pursuant to section 74.1204(f) of the rules. Action by: the Commission. Adopted: 2020-10-13 by MO&O. (FCC No. 20-144). MB.
“FCC Democrats Set to Move on Net Neutrality, Broadband Subsidies”
Also, near the end of the article.
“Democrats are also expected to take steps to increase broadcast industry diversity, a priority for Democratic FCC Commissioner Geoffrey Starks, Fitzgerald said. That may include undoing a rule that has allowed broadcast owners to buy up more TV stations across the country without running over national media ownership limits.”The FCC has requested comments for its quadrennial review of media ownership limits. Reply comments are due Oct. 1 (Docket No. 18-349).
iHeartMedia (formerly Clear Channel) is suggesting “a targeted, moderate approach” to changing local radio ownership rules.
It says the FCC should eliminate any limits on how many AM stations one entity can own in a market, but that it should retain current limits on FMs.
iHeart has laid out this opinion on this issue before and it puts the largest U.S. radio company in opposition to the National Association of Broadcasters.
The NAB supports lifting the AM subcap, but it wants the FCC to allow an entity to own up to eight commercial FM stations in Nielsen markets 1 through 75, and up to 10 if the licensee participates in the broadcast-radio-incubator-program. The NAB also wants no cap on FM ownership in markets 76 and smaller.
The radio incubator program, an Ajit Pai creation, would lift ownership caps for the wealthy conglomerates if they throw a few dollars at a struggling broadcast licensee. It’s just another device to allow the big to get bigger. Follow the link above for more on that. I find it amusing that the government would promote that the already bankrupt should throw money at the going bankrupt and be rewarded by dragging more licensees into the whirlpool of radio failures.
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