The FCC says Educational Media Foundation cannot have an FM translator in Los Angeles, noting the broadcaster has not proven that granting this application would not preclude future LPFM licensing opportunities in L.A.
EMF had actually applied for two FM translators in Los Angeles and the Media Bureau is addressing one of those.
The proposed translator in Quartz Hill, Calif., would not overlap the 60 dBu contour of its other proposed translator for the market, nor others, according to EMF. But the broadcaster acknowledged the application didn’t meet the LPFM spacing test, adding that perhaps “a theoretical move” might be made to solve the issue.
The Media Bureau treated EMF’s situation as a request for a waiver and said in its decision such waivers face a high hurdle. Audio Division Chief Peter Doyle stated the facts don’t meet that hurdle and given the massive amount of pending translator applications, the agency isn’t going to “conduct a case-by-case assessment.”
Allowing EMF to change its application after the deadline would be unfair to the hundreds of applicants who complied with the requirements, according to Doyle.
Overall, EMF applied for 800 FM translators in 2003.
