I believe the WCPE petition is fitting and proper. Commercial and public FM signals travel, interact and are received identically, using identical towers, transmitters, antennas and receivers. Although good for their vintage, yesteryear's vacuum tube sets pale to today's receivers. Forty years of advancements provide greatly improved performance. Good regulatory practice utilizes waivers, allowing flexibility in specific situations.
Waivers enhance the ability to regulate reasonably and prudently in deserving cases.
The never-updated interference rule shackles public radio. It's fully 100 times more restrictive than its newer commercial counterpart. That's why WCPE is petitioning for waiver from the regulation. Although it takes years, the FCC should review the outdated standard. To serve 142,000 North Carolina citizens better, WCPE and WXYC only need the old interference rule waived for a few square miles.