January 19, 2000

The Honorable William E. Kennard
Chairman
Federal Communications Commission
445 12^th Street, S.W.
Washington, D.C. 20554

         Re: MM Docket No. 99-25, Low Power Radio

Dear Chairman Kennard:

    I am writing about the Commission’s proposal to create a new low-power FM radio service that is on the agency’s agenda for its open meeting on January 20, 1999.

    While I support the general principles underlying this proposal, I continue to have concerns about the possibility of harmful interference to existing full power radio stations. I am aware that competing engineering studies have been performed, and each has reached a different conclusion with regard to this important question.

    As the expert agency charged with managing the nation’s radio spectrum, it is incumbent on the Commission to ensure that existing stations and listeners are not disenfranchised. Just as important, if interference questions are not completely resolved before issuance of the low-power licenses, these new stations would be subject to severe hardship as well. As you know, these community-based, noncommercial stations are least able to afford the dislocation that would result from the use of faulty engineering assumptions.

    For these reasons, I urge the Commission to be certain that it has resolved all harmful interference questions before proceeding. While increasing diversity of voices in the radio marketplace is a laudable goal, it is fraught with peril for existing and new stations alike if the Commission has not done its homework fully and expertly in advance of the Commission’s order.

    Thank you for your consideration of these views. Please treat this correspondence in accordance with Part 1.1203 of the Commission’s rules.

Sincerely,

 JOHN D. DINGELL
RANKING MEMBER

cc: Commissioner Susan Ness
Commissioner Harold Furchtgott-Roth
Commissioner Michael Powell
Commissioner Gloria Tristani

 
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