NRB OPPOSES LOW POWER
FM PROPOSAL
Manassas,
VA (August 5, 1999)
- In comments filed with the Federal Communications Commission this week
National Religious Broadcasters urged the Commission not to adopt a proposed new
low power FM service.
To implement these new FM
stations the Commission has proposed eliminating the frequency interference
protections for full-power stations. NRB opposes eliminating these protections
because of the potential interference that would result from the overcrowding of
stations.
"NRB member stations
have invested too much time and energy into building their ministries to have
their signals put at risk for the sake of adding diversity to the
spectrum,"
according to NRB president Brandt Gustavson. "While it would be advantageous
to have more stations transmitting the gospel message, we must protect existing
stations first."
Part of NRB’s comments were
based on an engineering study commissioned by the National Association of
Broadcasters that shows a wide range of differences in the ability of FM radios
to overcome interference. The study shows that if the new low power FM service
is implemented as proposed, listeners using a portable radio, clock radio, or
Walkman-type radio might experience poor reception of their once favorite
stations or no reception at all in some cases.
In comments filed by
general counsel, Wiley, Rein & Fielding, NRB made the case that those who
own the more inexpensive older receivers that are more vulnerable to reception
problems are most likely to be less affluent listeners, including the urban and
rural poor and the elderly. The resulting unintended consequence is at odds with
the Commission’s efforts to serve disadvantaged Americans.
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