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PUBLIC NOTICE

Federal Communications Commission
445 12th St., S.W.

News Media Information 202 / 418-0500

Internet: http://www.fcc.gov

Washington, D.C. 20554

TTY: 1-888-835-5322

DA 13-18

January 8, 2013

MEDIA BUREAU OFFERS EXAMPLES TO CLARIFY AUCTION 83 FM TRANSLATOR 

APPLICATION SELECTIONS AND CAP SHOWINGS REQUIREMENTS

On December 21, 2012, the Media Bureau (Bureau) released a Public Notice announcing the January 10 –
January 25, 2013 filing window for application selections and cap showings required of certain Auction 
83 FM translator applicants.1  The Translator Showings Public Notice provides detailed information on 
the national and per-market cap implementation procedures recently adopted LPFM Fifth Order on 
Reconsideration.2 The Bureau has received numerous questions concerning the upcoming filing 
requirements.  To assist existing FM translator applicants, the Bureau has prepared the following 
examples to clarify and illustrate the required submissions.  The examples provided in the Attachment are 
intended to provide general guidance reflecting the staff’s initial interpretation of the application 
selections and cap showings procedures.  They are not intended to establish binding precedent.  The staff 
will make specific rulings in response to actual selections and submissions on a case-by-case basis.  
For further information, contact James Bradshaw or Robert Gates, Audio Division, Media Bureau, (202) 
418-2700.
                                                     
1   Media Bureau Offers Announces January 10 – January 25, 2013 Filing Window for Auction 83 FM Translator 
Application Selections and Cap Showings, Public Notice (MB rel. Dec. 21, 2012) (DA 12-2073) (“Translator 
Showings Public Notice”).
2 See Creation of a Low Power Radio Service, Fifth Order on Reconsideration and Sixth Report and Order, FCC 12-
144 (rel. Dec. 4, 2012) (“Fifth Order on Reconsideration”).

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ATTACHMENT

The following definitions apply to the examples below:

Application – 

Any pending short form proposal from the 2003 Auction 83 application window or related 
Form 349 application.

Appendix A 

– Creation of a Low Power Radio Service, Fourth Report and Order and Third Order on 
Reconsideration, 27 FCC Rcd 3364, 3398-3402 (2012).

Appendix A Market 

– Any Arbitron market listed in Appendix A.

Inside a Market 

– A transmitter site located within the boundaries of any Appendix A market.

Outside all Appendix A Markets 

– A transmitter site located outside the boundaries of ALL Appendix 
A Markets.

In Grid 

– A transmitter site located within the 20x20 or 30x30 minute grid that was used to determine the 
status of each Appendix A and Appendix B market as “spectrum limited” or “spectrum available.”  All 
markets indicated as “spectrum limited” on Appendix A used 30x30 minute grids.  All other markets are 
listed in Appendix B, far right column, as “30 min.” or “20 min.”

Out of Grid – 

A transmitter site which is not In Grid.

In Buffer 

– A transmitter site within 39 km of the grid used to assess the status of a market as “spectrum 
limited” or “spectrum available” in Appendix A or Appendix B.

Protected Contour 

– 60 dBµ contour calculated in accordance with 47 C.F.R. § 74.1204(b).

No Overlap Showing 

– A showing that the Protected Contour of an Application does not overlap the 
Protected Contour of any other Application of that applicant or the Protected Contour of an FM translator 
authorization held by that applicant as of December 4, 2012.  Showing applies to certain Outside all 
Appendix A Markets Applications and certain Inside a Market Applications.

National Cap Transmitter Site Showing 

– A showing that at least one LPFM channel would remain at 
the transmitter site if the Application is granted or that no LPFM channel would remain at the transmitter 
site if the Application is dismissed.  Showing applies only to Applications Outside all Appendix A 
Markets and only if applicant prosecutes more than 50 Applications.

Appendix A Grid Preclusion Showing 

– A showing that the Application would not preclude any future 
LPFM licensing opportunities at any In Grid location for that Appendix A Market.  Showing is required 
for all Applications in a market if Applicant prosecutes more than one Application in that Appendix A 
Market.

Appendix A Transmitter Site Showing 

- A showing that at least one LPFM channel would remain at the 
transmitter site if the Application is granted or that no LPFM channel would remain at the transmitter site 
if the Application is dismissed.  Showing applies only to Applications Inside a Market and only if 
applicant prosecutes more than one Application in such market.

National cap-related examples:

Example 1 (Applicant with 71 Applications – all Outside all Appendix A Markets):

The applicant may only prosecute 70 Applications nationwide.  The applicant must select 70 Applications
to prosecute and/or one Application to dismiss.  Failure to do so will result in the dismissal of the last-
filed Application.  The applicant also must submit a No Overlap Showing and a National Cap Transmitter 
Site Showing for each of the 70 Applications.  Failure to do so will result in the dismissal of all but the 
first 50-filed Applications.

Example 2 (Applicant with 55 Applications in Appendix A Markets):

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The applicant may only prosecute 50 Applications within Appendix A Markets.  The applicant must 
select 50 Applications to prosecute and/or five Applications to dismiss.  Failure to do so will result in the 
dismissal of the five last-filed Applications.  

Example 3 (Applicant with 50 Applications – all Outside all Appendix A Markets):

The applicant need not submit any showing at this time for any of these 50 Applications.  

Example 4 (Applicant with 51 Applications - all Outside all Appendix A Markets):

The applicant must submit a No Overlap Showing and a National Cap Transmitter Site Showing for each 
of the 51 Applications.  Failure to do so will result in the dismissal of the last-filed Application.  

Example 5 (Applicant with 70 Applications – all Outside all Appendix A Markets):

The applicant must submit the showings listed in Example 4, above, for each Application.  Failure to do 
so will result in the dismissal of the last 20-filed Applications.

Example 6 (Applicant with 40 Applications in Appendix A Markets and 11 Applications Outside all 
Appendix A Markets):

The applicant must submit a No Overlap Showing and a National Cap Transmitter Site Showing for each 
of the 11 Outside all Appendix A Market Applications.  Failure to do so will result in the dismissal of the 
last-filed Outside all Appendix A Market Application.  No showings are required at this time for any of 
the 40 Applications in Appendix A Markets, provided that each Application is in a different market.

Appendix A Markets cap-related examples:

Example 7 (Applicant with four Applications in an Appendix A Market):

Only three Applications are allowed per market.  Applicant must pick three to prosecute and/or one to 
dismiss. Applicant must submit an Appendix A Grid Protection Showing, an Appendix A Transmitter 
Site showing and a No Overlap Showing for each Application that it chooses to prosecute. Failure to 
make a selection or to submit the necessary showings will result in the dismissal of all but the first-filed 
Application from that market.

Example 8 (Applicant with one Application in an Appendix A Market):

The applicant need not submit any showing at this time for this Application.

Example 9 (Applicant with one Application each in three different Appendix A Markets):

The applicant need not submit any showing at this time for any of these three Applications.

Example 10 (Applicant with three Applications in an Appendix A Market):

The applicant must submit a No Overlap Showing, an Appendix A Grid Preclusion Showing and an 
Appendix A Transmitter Site Showing for each Application.  See Example 12, below, for details.  Failure 
to submit the necessary showings will result in the dismissal of all but the first-filed Application.

Example 11 (Applicant with two Applications in an Appendix A Market):

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The applicant must submit a No Overlap Showing, an Appendix A Grid Preclusion Showing and an 
Appendix A Transmitter Site Showing for each Application.  See Example 12, below, for details.  Failure 
to submit the necessary showings will result in the dismissal of all but the first-filed Application.  

Example 12 (the Atlanta Arbitron Metro map (the counties mapped above) with overlays of the 
Grid and 39 km buffer.  For all of the following examples, applicant is prosecuting the 5 
Applications (A, B, C, D and E) depicted above.  Sites A, B and C are Inside the Atlanta Market.  
Thus, this applicant’s failure to submit all necessary showings with respect to Applications A, B and 
C will result in the dismissal of all but the first-filed of these three Applications.  See Example 10, 
above.  Sites D and E are Outside the Atlanta Market.  Thus, this applicant may choose to 
prosecute all five Applications, provided that the Applications D and E do not conflict with the 
National Cap Conditions and Local Cap Conditions.3  In this example, Sites D and E are Outside all 
Appendix A Markets.  Applicant also is prosecuting 51 Applications nationwide:

Applicant must submit a No Overlap Showing for Applications A, B and C.  This showing is also
required for Applications D and E because those Applications are Outside all Appendix A 
Markets and the applicant is pursuing 51 Applications.  (A No Overlap Showing is only required 
for Applications Outside all Appendix A Markets if the applicant is pursuing 51 or more 
Applications nationwide.)

In addition:

Example 12a Application A (In Grid and In Market):

                                                     
3 See Translator Showings Public Notice at 2-3.

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This Application is counted toward the Atlanta Market Cap.4  Applicant must submit an 
Appendix A Grid Preclusion Showing and an Appendix A Transmitter Site Showing.

Example 12b Application B (In Buffer and In Market):

This Application is counted toward the Atlanta Market Cap.  Applicant must submit an Appendix 
A Grid Preclusion Showing and an Appendix A Transmitter Site Showing.

Example 12c Application C (Not In Buffer and In Market):

This application is counted toward the Atlanta Market Cap for this applicant.  Applicant must 
submit an Appendix A Grid Preclusion Showing.  The following would be a sufficient showing:  
“Transmitter site is 39 kilometers or more from any In Grid location and therefore cannot 
preclude any LPFM licensing opportunity in the grid in this Appendix A Market.”  Applicant 
must also submit an Appendix A Transmitter Site Showing. 

Example 12d Application D (Not In Buffer and Outside all Appendix A Markets):

This application is NOT counted toward the Atlanta Market Cap.  Applicant is NOT required to 
submit an Appendix A Grid Preclusion Showing.  However, this applicant is required to submit a 
National Cap Transmitter Site Showing because the applicant is pursuing 51 Applications 
nationwide.

Example 12e Application E (In Buffer and Outside all Appendix A Markets):

This application is NOT counted toward the Atlanta Market Cap.  The applicant is NOT required 
to submit an Appendix A Grid Preclusion Showing because the Application is not located Inside 
a Market.  However, this applicant must submit a National Cap Transmitter Site Showing because 
the applicant is prosecuting 51 Applications nationwide.
                                                     
4 See id. at 1.

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