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WASHINGTON, D.C.—This month, FCC Commissioner Ajit Pai floated an idea to improve the FM band—allowing a Class C4 allocation. The Class C4 stations would have more powerful signals than Class A FM stations, but less than Class C3 stations.
But Womble Carlyle Telecom attorney John Garziglia is skeptical of Commissioner Pai’s plan. Garziglia tells Radio Ink that “Class C4 may have been a viable and non-disruptive enhancement to FM broadcast service a decade ago. Today, however, Class C4 upgrades will potentially disrupt and displace service from hundreds of recently granted FM translators now carrying AM and HD sub-channel primary stations. AM stations in particular have spent significant resources in bringing better service to the listening public through FM translators. It would be a cruel trick for the FCC to now put that service into jeopardy. Class C4 will be highly harmful to our radio industry and the listening public unless in-contour FM translators will be fully protected against a forced displacement or termination of operations.”
Click here to read “Pai: FCC Exploring A Class C4 FM Allocation” at Radio Ink.
John Garziglia represents radio and television broadcasters, offering personalized assistance in all areas of communications and telecommunications law including transactional and contract negotiations for broadcast station mergers and acquisitions, the securing of financing, governmental auctions of new frequencies, license renewals, new stations applications, facility changes, facility upgrades, licensing, and compliance with FCC rules, regulations and policies.
Follow John Garziglia on Twitter at @JohnGarziglia.
