Filing opportunities would be announced through brief filing windows, rather than allocation tables or cut-off lists. Mutually exclusive applicants would be determined through a lottery, with substantial preferences being given to those having no other media interests, and possibly minority status. Application and regulatory fees would be required, but would be less than those for full power stations. Event Broadcasting would be designed to provide information to those who attend conventions, concerts, sporting events and the like. Licenses would be sought on a nationwide basis, but specific AM or FM activations would be tailored to the needs of an individual event.
Technical parameters are quite vague.
The petitioner claims to have refined his proposal through operation of experimental stations of this type over the past several years, although he provided no specifics. He cites as precedent for his proposal two FCC grants of special temporary authority in 1991 for the world gymnastic championship in Indianapolis and in 1992 for the U.S. Open in Flushing, New York. FCC Chairman Kennard and two of the other Commissioners have already expressed some interest in the microstation proposal, which has been pending since last June. The LPFM proposal was only filed on February 20. So far, the Commission has merely solicited comments on the original petitions.