While Ian was threatening Florida, broadcasters in Puerto Rico continued to cope with the aftermath of Fiona.
As of Tuesday midday, nine days after the storm passed, two FM and one AM stations were still listed as off the air in the FCC’s Disaster Information Reporting System.
The FCC’s Media Bureau has granted special temporary authority to FM station WUKQ in Mayaguez, whose tower in Monte Del Estado collapsed because of Fiona, taking the station off the air. WUKQ is a designated state relay station for EAS; it received permission to originate programming from an existing booster antenna that serves Ponce. The LP-1 station in the area remains on the air, according to the STA application.
Another STA was given to Community Through Colors to construct an emergency non-commercial FM station on 90.1 MHz serving Vieques with 60 watts ERP, providing public safety information there.
The FCC has also extended the 2022 regulatory fee deadline for affected areas of Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands to the night of Sept. 30.
And the Wireless Telecommunications Bureau granted the American Radio Relay League a temporary waiver to permit amateur data transmissions at a higher baud rate than normal, for operators involved in emergency and relief communications related to Ian and Fiona.
