The FCC has tweaked its rules to solve a conflict between requirements of two sections that involve steps an AM must take when encountering problems in the operation of a directional antenna.
By clarifying these ambiguities, the commission said it hopes to help stations avoid having to turn off stations unnecessarily.
The Report and Order addresses a conflict between requirements of Sections 73.62 and 73.1350(d)(2). The rules kick in when a station’s directional antenna operating parameters or monitoring point field are over operating tolerances.
The FCC thinks the change “will result in clearer and more easily understandable rules that will assist AM broadcast licensees employing directional antennas to implement corrective action in the appropriate time frame when monitoring parameters exceed required operating tolerances during the operation of their stations.”
Read the report and order.
