111TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 1147 
AN ACT 
To implement the recommendations of the Federal Commu-
nications Commission report to the Congress regarding 
low-power FM service. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Local Community 
Radio Act of 2009’’. 
SEC. 2. AMENDMENT. 
Section 632 of the Departments of Commerce, Jus-
tice, and State, the Judiciary, and Related Agencies Ap-
propriations Act, 2001 (Public Law 106–553; 114 Stat. 
2762A–111), is amended to read as follows: 
‘‘SEC. 632. (a) The Federal Communications Com-
mission shall modify the rules authorizing the operation 
of low-power FM radio stations, as proposed in MM Dock-
et No. 99–25, to— 
‘‘(1) prescribe protection for co-channels and 
first- and second-adjacent channels; and 
‘‘(2) prohibit any applicant from obtaining a 
low-power FM license if the applicant has engaged 
in any manner in the unlicensed operation of any 
station in violation of section 301 of the Commu-
nications Act of 1934 (47 U.S.C. 301). 
‘‘(b) Any license that was issued by the Federal Com-
munications Commission to a low-power FM station prior 
to April 2, 2001, and that does not comply with the modi-
fications adopted by the Commission in MM Docket No. 
99–25 on April 2, 2001, shall remain invalid.’’.
SEC. 3. MINIMUM DISTANCE SEPARATION REQUIREMENTS. 
The Federal Communications Commission shall mod-
ify its rules to eliminate third-adjacent minimum distance 
separation requirements between— 
(1) low-power FM stations; and 
(2) full-service FM stations, FM translator sta-
tions, and FM booster stations. 
SEC. 4. PROTECTION OF RADIO READING SERVICES. 
The Federal Communications Commission shall com-
ply with its existing minimum distance separation require-
ments for full-service FM stations, FM translator stations, 
and FM booster stations that broadcast radio reading 
services via an analog subcarrier frequency to avoid poten-
tial interference by low-power FM stations. 
SEC. 5. ENSURING AVAILABILITY OF SPECTRUM FOR LOW- 
POWER FM STATIONS. 
The Federal Communications Commission, when li-
censing new FM translator stations, FM booster stations, 
and low-power FM stations, shall ensure— 
(1) that licenses are available to FM translator 
stations, FM booster stations, and low-power FM 
stations; and 
(2) that such decisions are made based on the 
needs of the local community.
SEC. 6. PROTECTION OF TRANSLATOR INPUT SIGNALS. 
The Federal Communications Commission shall mod-
ify its rules to address the potential for predicted inter-
ference to FM translator input signals on third-adjacent 
channels set forth in section 2.7 of the technical report 
entitled ‘‘Experimental Measurements of the Third-Adja-
cent Channel Impacts of Low-Power FM Stations, Volume 
One—Final Report (May 2003)’’. 
SEC. 7. ENSURING EFFECTIVE REMEDIATION OF INTER-
FERENCE. 
The Federal Communications Commission shall mod-
ify the interference complaint process described in section 
73.810 of its rules (47 CFR 73.810) as follows: 
(1) With respect to those low-power FM sta-
tions licensed at locations that do not satisfy third- 
adjacent channel spacing requirements under section 
73.807 of the Commission’s rules (47 CFR 73.807), 
the Federal Communications Commission shall pro-
vide the same interference protections that FM 
translator stations and FM booster stations are re-
quired to provide as set forth in section 74.1203 of 
its rules (47 CFR 74.1203) as in effect on the date 
of enactment of this Act. 
(2) For a period of 1 year after a new low- 
power FM station is constructed on a third-adjacent 
channel, such low-power FM station shall be re-