Revised Form 301 Now Available
The new FCC Form 301 application is now available, both as a pdf on the Commission's forms page, and in the CDBS filing system. The Form has been revised to take into account changes made in FCC rules which allow changes in the city of license of AM and FM stations to be made as a "minor change" that can be processed relatively quickly. The rules also permit changes in the channels of FM stations, even to non-adjacent channels, as a minor change without a rulemaking. We wrote about that proceeding most recently here. The new rules are effective on January 19, except for changes in noncommercial FM reserved-band stations.
Applications for reserved-band stations must be filed on a revised version of FCC Form 340, which may not be available for another month or two. Under the FCC's order, noncommercial reserved-band stations are supposed to wait until the new Form 340 is available before filing an application under the new rules. As applications filed on January 19 could theoretically preclude a change planned by a noncommercial station, that delay could be a problem. It is possible that noncommercial applicants may submit filings on the January 19 deadline asking that the FCC reconsider this disparate treatment of commercial and noncommercial stations.
The FCC is supposed to release a series of questions and answers on the new procedures in the next few days. Applicants planning to file on the 19th should be alert for that release, as it may provide information that is important for the new filings.
