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City Council Agenda
Item No. ss3
March 28, 2000
TO: Mayor and City Council
FROM: General Services Director
SUBJECT: Low Power FM Radio System
Recommendation
None. Informational report only.
Backeround
At the January 25, 2000 Council session, Concilmember Thomson requested a staff report on the
feasibility of a City public information radio system.
• Discussion
On January 20, 2000, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) adopted rules creating a
new, Low Power FM Radio system (LPFM). The new service will consist of two classes of
noncommercial radio stations: (1) 10 -watt stations, and (2) 100 -watt stations. The 10 -watt
station can reach an area with a radius of up to two miles while the 100 -watt station would reach
a radius of approximately three and a half miles. The new program is intended to enhance
community- oriented radio broadcasting.
Stations and licenses to operate LPFM stations are not available at the present time. The FCC is
currently in the process of adopting application procedures. Staff at the FCC Los Angeles Field
Office in Cerritos indicated that procedures would not likely be in place until sometime in May.
The FCC will issue a 30 -day Public Notice to inform interested persons of the application period.
The FCC is expected to announce a designated five -day filing window for the 100 -watt station
applications. A government agency such as Newport Beach would be eligible to apply.
There is no fee for the LPFM Licenses, which will be issued for a term of eight years. The FCC
anticipates that it will issue licenses within 30 days following the receipt of an application.
LPFM stations will be licensed exclusively to local entities for the first two years of the license.
The stations will be required to broadcast a minimum of 36 hours per week, and will be subject
to statutory rules regarding sponsorship identification, political programming, prohibitions of
airing obscene or indecent programming, and requirements to provide periodic call sign
CATEM%Councild.gwFreq.doc
announcements. Stations will also be required to participate in the national Emergency Alert •
System.
The program service rules do not require a formal studio, nor include an operator requirement,
which eliminates the need to hire staff to man the station while it is broadcasting. Stations must
be constructed within 18 months following the receipt of the LPFM License.
Because Low Power FM stations are a new feature to the radio communications industry, neither
FCC staff nor private communications companies were able to specify equipment requirements
to set up a LPFM station at this time. However, it is estimated that initial one -time set -up costs
may range from $15,000- $30,000.
If Council feels this is something that could have significant merit, staff will proceed with
contacting communications consultants to obtain additional technical information that will help
the City determine more specific costs when the FCC rules are finalized later this year.
Very respectfully,
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David E. Niederhaus
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CATEMP \Commit- LowFreq.doc