HR 1147 RFS 
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.’’. 
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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. 
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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-
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quired to broadcast periodic announcements that 
alert listeners that interference that they may be ex-
periencing could be the result of the operation of 
such low-power FM station on a third-adjacent 
channel and shall instruct affected listeners to con-
tact such low-power FM station to report any inter-
ference. The Federal Communications Commission 
shall require all newly constructed low-power FM 
stations on third-adjacent channels to— 
(A) notify the Federal Communications 
Commission and all affected stations on third- 
adjacent channels of an interference complaint 
by electronic communication within 48 hours 
after the receipt of such complaint; and 
(B) cooperate in addressing any such in-
terference. 
(3) Low-power FM stations on third-adjacent 
channels shall be required to address complaints of 
interference within the protected contour of an af-
fected station and shall be encouraged to address all 
other interference complaints, including complaints 
to the Federal Communications Commission based 
on interference to a full-service FM station, an FM 
translator station, or an FM booster station by the 
transmitter site of a low-power FM station on a 
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