Things certainly slow down in the middle of August, and that holds just as true for low-power FM. Just one construction permit was granted in the last week, to the St. Mark Radio Association in Wilmington, NC.
Also in the past week the deadline to file petitions to deny (PTDs) against applicants competing for frequencies in western states lapsed. REC Networks has a rundown of the happenings for every frequency under contention. Some have seen more action than others.
For instance, in my own backyard of Portland, OR, Portland State University tells the FCC that it actually isn’t part of the University of Oregon system, and therefore doesn’t have any attributable interest in any of UO’s stations. This would mean that it would get one more point, potentially making it a winner in its group. In the same MX group, the Reed Institute filed a PTD against the Portland Russian Media Center, claiming that the latter group does not have site assurance for its proposed transmitter location.
Full-power broadcasters in a couple of markets filed PTDs against applicants that asked for 2nd adjacent waivers to be spaced closer to their stations on the dial. These include stations in Oxnard, CA, and Los Angeles.
While some applicants managed to amend their applications for non-competitive frequencies or reach time-sharing agreements, in many of the most contested urban markets it will be up to the FCC to choose a winner. Next, the Commission will tackle the competing MX groups for the eastern half of the country.
