What College Radio Stations Need to Know
On June 17, the FCC announced the first-ever filing window for new Noncommercial Educational (NCE) FM translators. It is the first opportunity in more than 25 years for eligible educational broadcasters to apply for reserved-band FM translators that can extend the reach of their stations.
For many college and high school stations, this is an important opportunity. An FM translator can help expand coverage and improve service to the communities they serve.
The problem is the timeline.
The FCC announced the filing window on June 17 and scheduled it for August 11 through August 25. That gave educational broadcasters only 55 days notice and placed the filing period in the middle of summer, when many campuses have reduced staffing and key administrators are away. Filing a translator application requires institutional approval, engineering work, legal review, and final authorization from the licensee. For most colleges and universities, that process takes months, not weeks.
CBI Was Already Working on this days before the FCC made its announcement, CBI had already begun asking members about the expected filing window through the listserv. We started gathering feedback on June 15 because we anticipated an announcement was coming.
When the FCC released its Public Notice on June 17, CBI was ready to respond.
On June 18, less than 24 hours later, CBI filed formal comments with the FCC.
We were the first organization to submit comments, and we were the only organization representing college and high school broadcasters.
Since then, other organizations, including the National Federation of Community Broadcasters (NFCB), REC Networks, Native Public Media, Common Frequency, and the Prometheus Radio Project, have also filed comments. Many of those filings include the same concerns CBI raised in our June 18 letter.
What CBI Asked the FCC to Do
Our comments asked the FCC to:
Reschedule the filing window so it better aligns with the academic calendar, consistent with previous NCE and LPFM filing windows.
Notify NCE FM and LPFM licensees directly about future filing opportunities instead of relying only on Public Notices. Educational institutions should not be the last to learn about opportunities created for them.
We also pointed out that the FCC adopted these translator rules in 2000, yet this is the first filing window ever opened under those rules. Because opportunities like this are so rare, educational broadcasters deserve a realistic chance to participate.
Where Things Stand
As of July 1st, the FCC has not changed the filing dates. The application window is still scheduled for August 11 through August 25.
The good news is that the concerns CBI raised are now being echoed by other organizations that support community and educational broadcasting.
How You Can Help
The coalition believes that letters from individual stations can make a difference.
If your station will be affected by the current filing schedule, we encourage you to submit a letter to the FCC explaining how the timing affects your ability to participate. Every campus has different approval processes, staffing schedules, and administrative requirements. Sharing your station’s experience helps demonstrate why this filing window should better reflect the academic calendar.
CBI has prepared a template that you can customize for your station. We encourage you to add details about your campus and submit your letter as soon as possible.
You can see the letter we sent to the FCC here: CBI NCE Comments Final
You can download a template of the letter to modify and send in here: Letter template to FCC (NCE FM Translator Filing Deadline)
We encourage you to add details about your campus and submit your letter as soon as possible.
CBI will continue advocating for college and high school broadcasters and will keep members updated as this process moves forward.
