One Page Summary of Technical Low Power Radio Issues Considered by the FCC One Page Summary of Technical Low Power Radio Issues Considered by the FCC Return to Program Main Page January 2000 Background. Many incumbent broadcasters claim that, although they support low power radio in theory, they fear these new stations will harm current broadcasts or interfere with conversion to digital radio. Although broadcasters spent hundreds of thousands of dollars on technical studies, they have not proven their doomsday claims.
Broadcasters oppose all changes.
Other parties agree that the FCC's current rules are probably outdated, and may be safely altered. A coalition of national religious organizations, led by the United Church of Christ, Office of Communication, hired a nationally- prominent radio engineer, Dr. Theodore Rappaport of Virginia Tech to study low power radio and to conduct rigorous review of the technical documents submitted to the FCC by LPFM opponents. Dr. Rappaport found that low power radio was technically feasible. Dr. Rappaport also criticized several aspects of the broadcast industry's studies. The NAB produced maps of potential interference based on a radio that does not exist.