Re: Third-adjacent rules

[Aaron Read <aread@speakeasy.net>]

At 11:45 AM 7/6/2003, Sean Smyth wrote:
>Recently, I've read on this list and elsewhere on the topic of the FCC
>looking at potentially revamping third-adjacent regulations. Hasn't there
>been a study in recent months, or one is about to be planned, on this
>particular issue?
>
>My question is this: how will such rules affect the Boston radio landscape
>in particular, and the Northeast in general? The region is packed with
>allocations under current rules. Will any potential rule revisions just
>relax interference overlap or will it open the door for move-ins and
>reallocations and a perpetual agenda of changes in COLs and transmitter
>sites?

There will be little change at all.  The study you refer to is being 
conducted by MITRE and is specifically in regards to whether or not LPFMs 
must protect 3rd-adjacent stations.  It is not in regards to non-LPFM 
Classes of license, although it's possible the results of the study will be 
used in that regard in a later fight - it's not on the table now.

Still, even if the MITRE study tells us all what we expect (and already 
know)....that LPFM's don't need to protect 3rd-adjacent....it's utterly 
meaningless to the Boston area.  The dial is SO packed that it's not 
third-adjacent that's the problem, it's second-adjacent.  Elsewhere in New 
England it might allow a few LPFM's, not all that many, though.

BTW - this is an academic argument since if MITRE recommends relaxing the 
3rd-adjacent rules, both NAB and NPR will lobby the snot out of Congress to 
get the protections to stay in place.  They do NOT want any sources of 
programming on the air, period.  Translators benefit their members; LPFM's 
do not.  Remember that the FCC originally decided that there was an 
abundance of evidence already that 3rd adajcent protection by LPFM was not 
needed and eliminated it.  NAB/NPR forced Congress to overrule the FCC and 
insist that a new study be done to determine if protection was needed.   It 
was all political bullsh*t then and it remains so now.



--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Aaron "Bishop" Read             aread@speakeasy.net
FriedBagels Consulting          AOL-IM: readaaron
http://www.friedbagels.com      Boston, MA