FM Translator Order Contains Possible 'Trojan Horse,' Says Henson
The FCC draft FM translator interference order could lead to AM translators that currently receive no interference complaints being bumped off the air (see 1904180063), said Henson Media CEO Ed Henson in a letter posted Monday in docket 18-119. Many…
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existing translators within the 45 dBu contour of a full-power station currently draw no complaints, but the FCC’s interference limit “might encourage full power stations to encourage complaints, knowing the complainant will not be challenged,” Henson said. The draft order’s procedures on complaints “seem to make it easier for a translator to be forced off the air without the full power station making a good faith and honest effort” to resolve the conflict, Henson said. It for a 48 dBu contour and objected to the draft order’s waiver procedure for lodging interference complaints outside the 45 dBu contour. “This waiver provision could be a Trojan Horse, which could take the teeth out of any limiting contour,” Henson said. “20 complaints from outside the 45 dBu contour would be a very low bar, especially in large metro areas, to trigger a waiver.”