Doug Vernier – V-Soft Communications Telecommunication Consultants Prepared for the SBE Webinar

 Operate within power and antenna height maximum and minimums required for class  Serve the licensed Principal City  Cause no interference  Meet minimum separations  Short space if necessary using rules

Zone I and Zone 1A East U.S., Southern California & P.R. A (6 kW at 100 m HAAT) B1 (25 kW at 100 m HAAT) B (50 kW at 150 m HAAT Zone II – Most of the rest of the U.S. A (6 kW at 100 m HAAT) C3 (25 kW at 100 m HAAT) C2 (50 kW at 150 m HAAT) C1 (100 kW at 299 m HAAT) C0 (100 kW at 450 m HAAT) C (100 kW at 600 m HAAT)

FM band: Channels 200 – – MHz Channel Band Width = 200 kHz

 Commercial FM 70 dBu needs 85 percent of the principal city area or population covered.  Principal City moves add Allocation Petitions to Amend the Table of Assignments require 100 percent coverage.  Non-commercial FM 60 dBu with at least 50% of the principal city covered.  Except for new allocations, in some cases, the FCC has allowed waivers where the applicant uses TechNote 101 calculations (Longley-Rice).

 Class L1, 0.1 kW = 5.2 km, ~60 dBu  Class A, 3 kW = 24.2 km, 60 dBu (1 mV/m), old class A  Class A, 6 kw = km, 60 dBu  Class B1 = 44.7 km, 57 dBu  Class B = 65.1 km, 54 dBu  Class C3 = 39.1 km, 60 dBu  Class C2 = 52.2 km, 60 dBu  Class C1 = 72.3 km, 60 dBu  Class C0 = 83.4 km, 60 dBu  Class C = 91.8 km, 60 dBu  All Non-Commercial stations are protected only to the 60 dBu

 Co-channel: -20 dB - *if 60 dBu is protected F(50-10) interference contour = 40 dBu  First-Adjacent: - 6 dB  2 nd and 3 rd adjacent +40 dB * if the 60 dBu is the protected contour, interference contour = 100 dBu

 Project # In 1947, the FCC "Laboratory Division" conducted tests on FM Radios and published reports on "Characteristics of Commercial FM Broadcast Receivers".  Data was included in the results concerning the interference rejection ratios on both co- channel and adjacent channels.  These measurements are the basis for the interference ratios still used in the FM rules (first adopted in 1951.)

* F(50,10) FIELD STRENGTH DATA FOR THE LOW VHF PROPAGATION CURVE * * ( FM AND TV CHANNELS 2 THRU 6 ) * DATA ( ( F51LV(I,J), J = 1, IH10 ), I = 1, ID10 ) / & 52.2, 58.4, 64.3, 68., 70.5, 72.3, 74.2, 75.9, 77., 78.2, & 80.8, 81.8, 82.2, C & 41.4, 47., 53., 56.5, 59., 60.9, 63., 64.8, 66.2, 67.6, & 71.2, 73.8, 75.5, C & 36.4, 40.9, 45.9, 49., 51.7, 53.7, 56., 57.9, 59.6, 60.9, & 64.5, 67., 69., C & 33., 36., 39.9, 43., 45.4, 47.5, 50., 52., 54., 55.2, & 58.9, 61.4, 63.3, C & 30., 31.9, 35., 37.7, 40., 41.9, 44.4, 46.7, 48.5, 50., & 53.9, 56.3, 58.4,

Minimum of 51 elevation points along a radial

 3 arc-second and 30 arc-second U.S.G.S. databases in use today by the FCC have the least accuracy of available databases.  The 30 arc-second database was derived from the original 3 arc-second U.S.G.S. data base which was digitized from 1:250,000 scale maps.  Since each second of latitude approximates 100 feet, the 30 arc-second terrain elevation database will have an elevation point every 3,000 feet. The 3 arc- second database will have a point every 300 feet.  Both databases are said to have a number of errors in them such as mountain  peaks being off as much as 15 seconds.  In 2004 the USGS released the National Elevation Datum (NED) data set.  This dataset was developed by merging the highest-resolution, best quality elevation data available across the United States into a seamless raster format. NED is the result of the maturation of the USGS effort to provide 1:24,000-scale Digital Elevation Model (DEM) data for the conterminous US and 1:63,360-scale DEM data for Alaska.  The newest database to be released is from the Shuttle Radar Topography Mission (SRTM). In this mission, NASA obtained elevation data on a near global scale to generate the most complete high-resolution digital topographic database of the Earth.

Where they came from

FCC Sec Spacings Table  It’s based on “flat earth” and uniform terrain.

 Use when separations cannot be met you can use contour-to-contour protection between stations  Distance between short-spaced stations must be greater than that shown in the minimum short-space tables in (e)  If the protected station is not already a short-space facility, you must change its power and HAAT to the standard class maximum  If protected station is directional and not already designated as you must assume its an omnidirectional facility  For NCE stations and FM translators, contour-to-contour protection applies between stations without regard to Section (e), except when NCE stations are on channels and interface with commercial band stations

Real Antenna at 6 kW HAAT: 416M Antenna at 50 kW HAAT: 150M

 These assignments are numerous in Zone 1 (Eastern US and Southern California)  Created before 1964 and adoption of separations tables  2 nd and 3 rd adjacent minimum spacing requirements are not followed, allowing a station’s transmitter to be within the protected contour of the short-spaced station.  Post 1989 short-spaces were caused by allowing class A stations to increase from 3 kW to 6 kW

 Coordination and approval is required for stations within 320 km of the US border with Canada and Mexico  Minimum separations are more restrictive toward Canada, less restrictive or the same toward Mexico. See (2)(table B)  Interference is allowed to be caused to Canadian stations if its located over U.S. territory  Interference in not allowed to be caused to Mexican stations, even over U.S. territory  See US Canada, US Mexico Working Treaties

 Minimum Distance Separation From TV Channel 6 (82-88 MHz)  FM Class TV Zone I TV Zones II & III  A  B  B  C  C  C  C 36 41

 Class upgrades require a fully spaced site with no short- space  The allocation site must cover 100 percent of the of city of license with the principal city contour  Applicants now apply for a one-step application, to advance to a higher class without going through the allocation rule petitioning  In the best situation, if the existing tower in not located in the allocation area-to-locate, short-space rules can be used  New rules allow moving a station’s channel more than 3 channels yet maintaining a minor change proposal

 Coverage to new city must serve 100% of the population or area of new city  New site location must be mutually-exclusive with the old site location  The proposal must leave at least one station serving the old principal city  Moving to a larger city is harder to do. Tuck studies and other analysis will be required  Applicant must show impact on service to the public, leaving no location with less than one station coverage

 If the new community is within an urbanized area, or the station can be modified to serve more than 50% of an urbanized area, a rebuttable assumption will be made that the applicant intends to serve the urbanized area.  The rebuttal must be a compelling showing of the following:  1. The proposed community is truly independent of the urbanized area.  2. The community’s specific need for an outlet for local expression independent of the urbanized area  3. The ability of the proposed station to provide that outlet.

 A proposal to provide service to a third, fourth and/or fifth aural service to at least 25% of the population in the proposed primary service area, provided the proposed community of license has two or fewer local transmission services, will receive a dispositive Section 307(b) preference.  See: MM Docket No – URL: _Business/2011/db0303/FCC-11-28A1.pdf

 Auction 93 will offer 119 construction permits in the FM broadcast service.  The construction permits to be auctioned, are for 119 new FM allotments, including 17 construction permits that were offered but not sold or were defaulted upon in prior auctions.  These construction permits are for vacant FM allotments, reflecting FM channels assigned to the FM Table of Allotments (“Table”), pursuant to the Commission’s established rulemaking procedures, and are designated for use in the indicated communities.  47 C.F.R. § (b).

tch/DA A1.doc

Doug Vernier – – 319