The National Association of Broadcasters heralded the compromise between NPR and iBiquity over the FM IBOC power increase that was first reported in The Leslie Report.
“We urge the FCC to move quickly and allow stations to operate at increased power according to the criteria in the agreement. This will result in greatly improved indoor reception for digital signals, including multicast signals, and pave the way for greater service reliability using portable HD Radio devices,” said NAB Executive Vice President Dennis Wharton in a statement.
IBiquity and NPR hope the Federal Communications Commission quickly okays the recommendations, which would allow most commercial and non-commercial stations to raise FM IBOC power 6 dB — to four times current levels — upon authorization.
For stations wanting to increase power by a full 10 dB, to 10 times current levels, the plan includes several conditions and criteria to manage the process.
