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Federal Communications Commission
445 12th Street, S.W.
Washington, D.C. 20554
News media information 202 / 418-0500
Fax-On-Demand 202 / 418-2830
Internet: http://www.fcc.gov
TTY: 202/418-2555


This is an unofficial announcement of Commission action. Release of the full text of a Commission order constitutes official action. See MCI v. FCC. 515 F 2d 385 (D.C. Circ 1974).

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
December 21, 2000
  NEWS MEDIA CONTACT:
David Fiske (202) 418-0513
     

FCC ANNOUNCES FIRST 255 APPLICANTS ELIGIBLE FOR LOW POWER FM RADIO STATIONS


Washington – December 21 – The FCC today announced that 255 noncommercial educational applicants in 20 states are eligible for new low power FM (LPFM) licenses.

Applicants could begin receiving construction permits for their new LPFM stations after 30 days. Additional eligible applicants from these twenty states, whose applications conflict with other applications filed in the same geographic area, will be announced at a later date.

The FCC said that, pursuant to provisions of the Commerce, Justice State Appropriations Bill passed last week, applicants are only eligible for LPFM licenses if the stations proposed in their applications fully protect full service FM and FM translator stations authorized on third-adjacent channels. In addition, pursuant to the bill, eligible applicants have not, as certified in their applications, engaged in the unlicensed operation of any broadcast station.

Low power FM radio stations will have power levels from 50-100 watts covering a radius of about 2 ˝ to 3 miles. Licensees must be non-profit organizations operating on a non-commercial basis and serving their local communities.

The 255 eligible applicants announced today filed their applications in the first two of five filing windows. These first two windows, open to ten states each, encompassed Alaska, California, Connecticut, the District of Columbia, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Louisiana, Maine, Mariana Islands, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Hampshire, Puerto Rico, Rhode Island and Utah, Virginia and Wyoming.

Last week, the FCC announced that a third filing window for LPFM licenses will be opened from January 16 to 22, 2001 for applicants from American Samoa, Colorado, Delaware, Hawaii, Idaho, Missouri, New York, Ohio, South Carolina, South Dakota, and Wisconsin.

A copy of the detailed Public Notice listing the applicants accepted for licenses from each state is available on the FCC website at www.fcc.gov. Further information on individual applications can be obtained on the FCC website at www.fcc.gov/mmb and then scroll down to the “CDBS Public Access” link.

-FCC-