Want a Full Power Radio License? Act Now
Want your school or nonprofit’s own full power radio station. Then act now? This from Common Frequency:
The FCC has indicated that in early 2007 it will open a five-day filing window where non-profits and educational institutions can submit applications to build “full power” non-commercial educational (NCE) FM radio stations.
The filing window is a very rare opportunity for non-profits and schools to propose new radio stations to the FCC. For media activists, this might be the single opportunity to take back some of the airwaves. FCC filing windows and auctions are relatively unknown to the greater public. The organizations that do know about them–corporate radio firms, religious groups, and large public radio outlets–tend to benefit the most. In one frequency grab in 2003–a filing window for FM translators–the top ten applicants filed thousands of applications for frequencies to rebroadcast their radio stations on via satellite–free of charge from the FCC…they are “full power” because they range from 100 – 100,000 watts, and have interference protections. They are the type of licenses held by NPR affiliates, colleges, and religious organizations at the lower end of the band (88.1 FM – 91.9 FM).
Here is one caveat:
Because of the backlog of FM applications, the remaining open channels to apply for are limited. In most large cities there is no chance of finding an open frequency.
However, while at the Media Reform conference in Memphis I saw maps and there are plenty of areas nationwide, especially rural areas where licenses might be made available. Common Frequency can help you determine what is available and how to move forward with a license application, but you have to act now.
