More Information on October Filing Window for New Noncommerical FM Radio Stations
The Commission yesterday released two further Public Notices regarding the upcoming window for new noncommercial (NCE) FM radio stations. As was previously announced, a filing window will be open from October 12 until October 19 during which time interested parties may submit applications for new NCE stations or for major changes to existing NCE stations. This window is significant, because it marks the first time in seven years that parties have been able to file for a new NCE FM station.
The first of the public notices released yesterday, which is available here, contains further details about how to submit an application in the window. Parties interested in learning more about filing an NCE FM application will find useful, step-by-step information about the application and licensing process here. In addition, the notice announces a filing freeze prior to the opening of the window. Beginning September 8, 2007 and continuing through the close of the window on October 19, there will be freeze on the filing of minor change applications for all reserved band channels, and, due to their potential impact on the window filings, on Channel 221, 222, and 223 non-reserved band minor change applications and amendments. This freeze will stabilize the database and allow applicants filing in the window to know what they need to protect.
The second public notice released yesterday proposes to restrict the number of applications that a single party can file in the NCE window to ten, and seeks input from interest parties regarding that proposal. A copy of the notice can be found here, and the deadline for comments is 15 days after the Notice has been published in the Federal Register, with reply comments due ten days after that. By proposing to limit the number of applications that a single entity may file in the window, the FCC seeks to avoid parties filing a large number of speculative filings, which create the potential for extraordinary procedural delays. All filings must be submitted in MM Docket No. 95-31, and can be filed either in paper or electronically through the FCC's Electronic Comment Filing System.
