NAB to FCC: FM Translators Should Not Originate Programming

NAB is opposing a proposal to allow stations to originate programming on FM translators, saying to do so would turn translators into mini stations. The commission has rejected such requests before and those who support the proposal haven’t offered anything new to justify a change, the trade group argues in comments to the FCC.
Randal Miller, president of the Miller Media Group, has proposed that FM translators be allowed to operate much like low-power TV stations, with the opportunity to cover local events like city council meetings and more high school sports contests.
Currently, FM translators operate as a secondary service to relay a full-power station’s programming into areas that cannot receive the signal because of terrain obstructions or distance.
NAB asked the FCC to dismiss the petition.